Dren5 said:

tinaz said:

WHy did you have to say "normal"?

I like to surf Pinterest, its a pinning website, anyway, I got into it with some other women because they called larger sized women "real" women... What does that mean? Why arent thinner women considered real and normal...

Im all for plus sized women getting more coverage but i really get tired of everyone assuming thinner women are not the "norm" and everyone is overweight, and those who arent are wrong for wanting to have a fit body... Or maybe not 'wrong" but vain and stupid...

I dont wanna pick these women apart at all, but it seems to me larger women wanna make thinner women feel bad about wanting to be thin...

But thats just me...

Im not really directing this at you Painted, sorry if I ranted a bit...

...This.

I've lost count of how many times I've had a bigger woman tell me that she's a 'real' woman - the implication being that I'm not, by default. Or being referred to as 'small and weak' because I'm not plus-sized.

It's really just an attempt to try and reaffirm and feel better about themselves at other people's expense and a case of thou protest too much, because if you're really okay with your size and don't feel it's an issue at all, you wouldn't feel the need to slag others off, period.

I agree with what you're saying, but that's not really the issue being discusses (or it wasn't, anyway). The issue is what the media protrays as the ideal woman, which is in fact exactly what you're talking about, only on a MUCH larger scale. Everyone should be allowed to be themsevles, so long as they're happy and healthy. But in the eyes of advertisers and fashion editors, most average woman (of any kind) don't fit the mold of what they're selling.

Cerebus said:

Dren5 said:

...This.

I've lost count of how many times I've had a bigger woman tell me that she's a 'real' woman - the implication being that I'm not, by default. Or being referred to as 'small and weak' because I'm not plus-sized.

It's really just an attempt to try and reaffirm and feel better about themselves at other people's expense and a case of thou protest too much, because if you're really okay with your size and don't feel it's an issue at all, you wouldn't feel the need to slag others off, period.

I agree with what you're saying, but that's not really the issue being discusses (or it wasn't, anyway). The issue is what the media protrays as the ideal woman, which is in fact exactly what you're talking about, only on a MUCH larger scale. Everyone should be allowed to be themsevles, so long as they're happy and healthy. But in the eyes of advertisers and fashion editors, most average woman (of any kind) don't fit the mold of what they're selling.

I went into this specifically in the post above that one.

People bitch and moan about the some model's bodies supposedly being unnaturally thin and unrealistic, but let's be real here - the vast majority of the general American population is obese, not 'average'.

People just want to trade one unhealthy visual extreme for another, frankly.

Dren5 said:

Cerebus said:

I agree with what you're saying, but that's not really the issue being discusses (or it wasn't, anyway). The issue is what the media protrays as the ideal woman, which is in fact exactly what you're talking about, only on a MUCH larger scale. Everyone should be allowed to be themsevles, so long as they're happy and healthy. But in the eyes of advertisers and fashion editors, most average woman (of any kind) don't fit the mold of what they're selling.

I went into this specifically in the post above that one.

People bitch and moan about the some model's bodies supposedly being unnaturally thin and unrealistic, but let's be real here - the vast majority of the general American population is obese, not 'average'.

People just want to trade one unhealthy visual extreme for another, frankly.

No. But nice try.

By definition, if a vast majority of them were obese, that would be the average body size.

However, a VAST MAJORITY of the "American population" is not obese.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/151970/Slightly-Fewer-Americans-Obese-2011.aspx

"WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Slightly fewer American adults were obese in 2011 (26.1%) than in 2010 (26.6%) and 2009 (26.5%). This decline was largely offset by a slight increase in the percentage of Americans reporting a normal weight -- increasing to 36.1% last year from 35.4% in 2010 -- while the percentage overweight, but not obese, showed less change."

You're trying to justify your prejiduce with the existance of another. Doesn't work. There is too skinny and there is too fat - they both exist. Its been known for decades that many fashion models are unnaturally skinny. The things some of them do, by choice or direction, to maintain those weights are not natural. An average sized person could not maintain that look for any length of time if they wanted to. If you're a size 0 or 2 or whatever because you genes made you that way, great! That's NOT the issue. The issue, imo, is having a healthy self image of yourself if you are an average body size. Not unhealthily obese - average.

I dont like that pic as a comparison... look at the size of the supposed plus model, shes way taller, bigger boned, even her head is larger... They should of used 2 people who were similar in build...

tinaz said:

I dont like that pic as a comparison... look at the size of the supposed plus model, shes way taller, bigger boned, even her head is larger... They should of used 2 people who were similar in build...

If the "average" woman is standing next to a model she must be 6'3 or so

NDRU said:

tinaz said:

I dont like that pic as a comparison... look at the size of the supposed plus model, shes way taller, bigger boned, even her head is larger... They should of used 2 people who were similar in build...

If the "average" woman is standing next to a model she must be 6'3 or so

Agreed and agreed. I find the "larger" woman more attractive, but that's not really the point. There is a clear disparity between the two body types, which does defeat the purpose of their argument.

Cerebus said:

No. But nice try.

By definition, if a vast majority of them were obese, that would be the average body size.

However, a VAST MAJORITY of the "American population" is not obese.

I agree.

But it certainly does SEEM like the majority of middle America is obese.