(not saying she's fat fyi)
The battle against eating disorders in the fashion industry and for those under the media spotlight has always been a pretty big deal. Size Zero has been banned from runways in the major fashion weeks to help discourage it. Vogue signed the Health Initiative which you can read all about in their current issue. Words like proana and thinspo have become pretty taboo for their association with encouraging an eating disorder that is widely considered a disease.
But perhaps now we have a new enemy. The idols of a world that has turned their backs on the super slim aren't always healthy sized girls, in fact some of them are right at the opposite end of the spectrum.I came across a blogger last week, with thousand of followers, who had won a fashion blogger award, and to be fair she does have epic personal style, but I was disappointed that her response to her severe weight issues was "It's none of your business."
Now, not giving a damn about the what body shape and size is fashionable is kinda great. Being able to encourage feeling confident and happy in your own skin, so that women don't become discontent and develop a debilitating eating disorder is exactly what we all wanted, right?
However, what I have seen in an increasing rise of people being admired for being, not just curvy and womanly, but downright obese. The world's turnaround on the desirability of being superskinny has left it wide open for the overweight to use this as an excuse for their size, as though that are making a fashion statement by being a size 24.
The above image, which I snagged off Google, has being doing the rounds on my Facebook newsfeed for a while now, and I really do think it's a prime example of us giving out the wrong impression. I'm not saying that Marilyn isn't healthy - I just don't think the word 'attractive' is right here...
'Society' has not woken up one morning and decided. "hey, now fashion trend starting now - slim and anorexic looking is so out. Now being fat is hot." The take down of the fashion industry and society bullying us into fulfilling the second, skinnier stereotype, was all about championing health over fashion.
Being too thin and anorexic. Is unhealthy.
So is being chronically obese.
So, so many articles, and 'Real Life Stories' have been featured in gossip magazine, on television - everywhere; telling us all about how being too thin is bad for our physical and often mental health. But when was the last time you saw an article about how someone was killing themselves from obesity on the front page of Reveal or More magazine? Maybe, we're scared that pointing out how being fat is unhealthy in case it causes someone to start feeling self concious and crash dieting. But what about all these people who are damaging their health and quality of life through obesity, and upon reading that being larger is ok! just reach for another doughnut and think 'hey, I'm okay then!'
The point of this article, isn't to flame upon the overweight for being overweight. Hell, I'm overweight so there'll be none of that... I just hope that someone, somewhere with a bit of influence will wake up and realise how fleeing from one extreme, we've nearly run all the way to the other instead.
No one should aim to be unhealthy, no matter which side of unhealthy that is. So, if you know you're overweight, maybe start doing something about it. If you feel you're underweight, look into doing something about that. But applauding celebrities and bloggers who are blatantly obese for their blasé attitude about their weight and health, is just as damaging as another blogger posting photos of her 'beautiful bones' all over the internet.
A quote from a tumblr tagged with 'Fatspo' says: (I stumbled across this be accident and was appalled.) "Here’s my real question: So fucking what if it is unhealthy? You cannot use the “It’s unhealthy” excuse to try and stop fat people from being okay with themselves unless you also give shit to every single person who smokes cigarettes, drinks alcohol, sneezes into their hands, and doesn't brush their teeth at least twice a day."
Okay, that's great. That means that Vogue's Health Initiative, and banning size zero models out of care for their health and the poor example and influence onto the public's health, was no one's business in the first place so long as they were "okay with themselves"? To me, that's just somebody pointing the finger at smokers, and alcoholics in order to get the heat off themselves. Not cool.
Anyone else agree with me, or perhaps I'm losing my touch and should quit Slimming World? Hmm.
Hmm.. I'm not sure I agree entirely with this. Firstly, Marilyn Monroe is in no way obese in that picture, so it's a poor comparison (seeing that pic do the rounds elsewhere on the internet did annoy me).
ReplyDeleteI don't have a problem with overweight people celebrating their style, they have just as much of a right to be fashionable as anyone else. Yes, they *might* be leading an unhealthy lifestyle, but on the other hand they might not, and at the end of the day it's not my place to judge.
The thing with the Vogue health initiative is good, and I see your point about there being a double standard for overweight people - however, it's well-known that many models are underweight whereas there isn't the same problem at the other end of the scale in the industry, so it's just not the same level of risk.
Good point! There isn't the same level of risk in the fashion industry, but in my eyes the 'industry' isn't the only major influence anymore.
DeleteI don't agree with either "thinspo" or "fatspo" but I do agree with being comfortable with yourself in your current situation. I don't think you can really, truly make a lasting difference in your mental and physical state until you accept who and what you are and part of that is being comfortable with what you find.
ReplyDeleteLike Kayleigh, I don't think the Monroe picture is a fair comparison and yet it says a lot about the state of the entertainment industry when women like Marilyn Monroe, Holly Willoughby, Christina Hendrix etc are in a separate class because they are a size 12 to 14 and sometimes classed as "fat".
The fashion and blogging worlds aren't true representations of influence either. I googled "overweight" and clicked on news just now and there were dozens of articles published today about the health risks. It's also shows like Supersize vs. Super Skinny that put things into perspective.
A lot of what you've said makes sense and is correct. This fight against negative body images (currently known as ultra skinny) should not lead to complacency or excuses. But I think if people can feel more accepted in society, they may be able to be more positive and want to make a difference. I know that's how I work. I don't want the size 6s to laugh at me when I go to gym so if I feel like they won't, I'm more likely to go more often.
Maybe I'm just being optimistic but as someone who is currently trying to lose weight I've found that dressing nicely and having realistic goals has made my attempts more successful, a lot healthier and I'm a lot happier.