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Let’s Talk About This “Fat” Issue


It hurts my heart to hear young girls, aspiring models or not, talk about how they feel “fat” compared to the fashion models they see on the runway and in magazines. And I’ve come to realize something—there’s this brainwashing process that’s been unfolding for decades.

I know, that may not be news but the actual realization that did occur to me is the fact that the modeling industry’s version of the word “fat” is completely different from the general public’s version—and even the medical community’s version—of “fat.”

Think about it: everyday modeling agencies tell models that are super thin and underweight that they are “fat.” They’ve created this industry standard definition of what it means to be “fat.” And unfortunately, that particular term is now being used outside of the modeling industry, with young girls and young ladies now labeling themselves as the industry’s version of being “fat.”

Listen to me: unless you are morbidly obese or are grossly heavier than what is proportional to your own unique build, YOU ARE NOT FAT by the general public’s definition. Would I care if someone in the modeling industry called me “fat?” Hell no! If I took the industry’s definition of “fat” and applied it to myself at 5’4” and 115 pounds, then we’d all be obese! See how stupid that sounds? Well, it’s even stupider to believe it.

So young ladies and young women, listen up: stop falling for this horrible brainwashing. If you’re going to compare yourself to models in magazines and call yourself “fat” then you’re just being silly because you are not “fat” by conventional terms, nor are you obese; you are not this huge, gross thing to look down upon. You have to realize that the modeling industry has dominated the term “fat” but that doesn’t mean you have to buy into it.

Whether you want to model or not, you have to know for yourself that the term “fat” being thrown around the modeling world is a distorted form of its actual meaning. Stop calling yourself “fat” when you really aren’t. Stop comparing yourself to this ideal of a woman who really doesn’t exist—at least not in the sense that she is healthy, happy and truly being herself and not what the industry has dolled her up to be.

The reality? None of us are “fat” and if the industry calls you such, that is one thing you can laugh your head off about—I know I would.
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Comments

Anonymous said…
I completely agree, it's ridiculous that all these YOUNG girls are worrying so much about weight.It's one thing to be concerned about your weight as a teenager, but like 9 years old?! When I was 9 the last thing on my mind was if I was fat or not. I'll be happy when I see the day of more "Cindy Crawford-esque" models hitting the runway, and I'm sure the guys will be too lol :P

Your an excellent writer, I love reading your blog. Keep up the great work!
June 18, 2008 at 2:10 PM
Anonymous said…
Same thing with guys but they feel even worse because they need to look all muscular with washboard abs and it's very impossible for them to get while girls can be of any body shape because they're naturally curvy while guys have one body shape and there no plus size male models at all. Most male models are all buff with fit abdominals. You see Abercrombie & Fitch and men's underwear ads and clothing catalogs? Nothing but muscular male models with washboard abs. It's easy to think skinny or slightly heavy guys are unattractive and that guys have to be athletic and muscular instead.
November 2, 2011 at 6:29 PM
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