When did chubby become “normal”?
There has been some discussion lately, regarding the weight and look of 20 year old Lizzie Miller – published in Glamour Magazine.
On one hand, its hailed as the body of “normal” women and a healthy step away from the anorectic supermodels we have become accustomed to, while others see this as a normalization of overweight, unfit and a generally unhealthy female appearance. I think I belong to the latter category, possibly with some adjustments.
Firstly, I do not like the Popsicle look on many celebrities and models today, the twig bodies with the big heads and boobs – that’s just unnatural and frankly looks stupid. Neither do I like the soft, “flabby but skinny” or “fat but thin” models that roam the catwalks of the world, where its all to evident that they are only thin, not fit in any way – with soft behinds and flat chests. Well, then – whats left – or are we destined to become fatter and fatter?
What happened to the fit bodies of women that keep in shape, that do sports, that have muscles, that are toned, well shaped and healthy?
Where are those bodies to idolize? I want to have healthy role models, with bodies that look like they have been used for something other than sipping Latte at the local mall or as extras in a concentration camp movie. Too much of everything is not good for us, not too fat and not too thin.
I must say that I admire Lizzie Miller – who daringly show off her unfit and/or heavily built and/or normal body for all to see, but I hardly find her body to be something to copy. She is slightly overweight, but more importantly, she looks unfit.
Lizzie Miller looking somewhat better
She is 20 years old and flabby – flabby like women in their late 30s have a tendency to be, or more correctly, like women in their late 30s was in the past. They say 40 is the new 20, but now it looks more like 20 is the new 40 when it comes to body shape and fitness level. Its sad, really – by promoting this body type as something to strive for, we are striving for the mediocre. The human anatomy has the potential for so much more.
September 8th, 2009 at 01:13
I’ve always been a fan of plus-size models! There’s a great site with many images of plus-size models here:
http://www.judgmentofparis.com/
They’re all gorgeous.
The site’s forum also has thought-provoking discussions about body image and the media.
September 8th, 2009 at 03:06
The great thing with humans is that there is someone for everybody, and some like them skinny – while some want beefier partners. The way I see it, presenting oversize/fat/chubby/heavy/whatever as the norm is unhealthy. The model on these images, even though you like them like that, does not have a “normal” belly for a 20 year old woman. It should be flat, she should be lighter – and being heavy while young will almost certainly mean that you will also be a fat adult. Being fat is unhealthy and will result in illness, reduced mobility and work ability, followed by a premature death. That is the default setting, but the milage will vary. That is not something our youth should be content with, and I therefore think that projecting a more sporty, healthy image of young women – not necessarily skinny – is better.
October 6th, 2009 at 15:22
Apesar do seu blog ser em inglês vou escrever em português porque meu inglês está um pouco enferrujado. Espero que entenda.
Quando li sobre Lizzie Miller, não achei que a revista estivesse promovendo a ideia de que ser gordo, flácido, com estrias, seja algo a ser considerado como “modelo”, como padrão de beleza a ser seguido. Mas o que a revista quis realmente mostrar é que as mulheres que estão um pouco mais cheinhas ou fora do padrão magra, não devem se sentir constrangida, já que o importante é ser feliz do jeito que você é. Ser bonita é ser feliz, se estar feliz te faz bem, então isso é ser bonita. Na foto Lizzie Miller parece estar muito feliz consigo mesma e é isso o que mais chamou a atenção das leitoras da revista “glamour”. Para seus 20 anos de idade, Lizzie está com a barriga flácida, mas quantas e quantas mulheres há pelo o mundo que tem a mesma idade de Lizzie e também tem a barriga flácida? muitas, porque muitas tiveram filhos, ou porque tem outras prioridades na vida. A revista não está promovendo a ideia de “não faça ginástica, coma mais, fique fora de forma”, não é essa ideia, até porque isso não é nada bom, mas está promovendo a ideia de “seja você mesma, tenha saúde, mas sem se frustar por não seguir o padrão magérrimo das modelos de revista”. Em sua matéria aqui no blog você fala bastante em saúde e que ser como Lizzie não é algo a deve ser copiado porque não é saudável. Mas ser anoréxica e frustada com o próprio corpo, sofrer distúrbios alimentares ou ficar sempre no efeito sanfona já que é difícil ser como as modelos super magras de revistas, também não é nada saudável. Promover a falsa ideia de que as mulheres são perfeitas, quando na verdade não são, ou quando as perfeitas fazem parte da minoria da população, isso também não é saudável. Isso não é saúde para corpo e nem para a mente. Sim, vamos nos cuidar, vamos praticar exercícios, vamos nos alimentar bem, mas vamos fazer isso para nos sentirmos bem e não porque as revistas, a televisão, a mídia em geral diz que eu tenho que magra para ser bonita. Olhar para Lizzie nesta foto não nos remete a sermos exatamente como ela, mas a valorizar o que somos e melhorarmos porque queremos e não porque sou “anormal”, segundo o que as revistas me dizem.
October 8th, 2009 at 00:41
Thank you very much for your comment Claudia. Being Norwegian, my Portuguese is somewhat rusty – so I have chosen to translate your comment with Babel-fish. Its by no means a perfect or accurate translation, but since I do not have access to anyone speaking both Portuguese and English, its the best I can do
I think that other English and non-Portuguese speakers also should be able to hear your voice in this, so here it goes:
“Although its blog to be in English I go to write in Portuguese because my English is a little rusted. I wait that he understands.
When I read on Lizzie Miller, I did not find that the magazine was promoting the idea of that to be fat person, limp, with estrias, either something to be considered as “model”, as standard of to be followed beauty. But what the magazine really wanted to show she is that the women who are a little more cheinhas or are of the lean standard, do not have to be felt constrangida, since the important one is to be happy of the skill that you are. To be pretty is to be happy, if to be makes happy you well, then this is to be pretty. In the photo Lizzie Miller it seems to be very happy I obtain same and is this what more “glamour” called the attention the readers of the magazine. For its 20 years of age, Lizzie is with the limp belly, but how many and how many women have for the o world that has the same age of Lizzie and also it has the limp belly? many, because many had had children, or because it has other priorities in the life. The magazine is not promoting the idea of “does not make gymnastics, eats more, is outside of form”, is not this idea, because this is not even nothing good, but is promoting the idea of “either same you, has health, but without if frustar for not following the standard magérrimo of the magazine models”. In its substance in blog you speak here sufficiently in health and that to be as Lizzie he is not something it must be copied because she is not healthful. But anoréxica and to be frustada with the proper body, to suffer alimentary riots or to be always in the effect concertina since it is difficult to be as the lean super models of magazines, also it is not nothing healthful. To promote the false idea of that the women are perfect, when in the truth is not, or when the perfect ones are part of the minority of the population, this also is not healthful. This is not health for body and nor for the mind. Yes, we go taking care of in them, we go to practise exercises, we go feeding in them well, but we go to make this stops feeling in them well and not because the magazines, the television, the media in general says that I have that lean to be pretty. To look at for Lizzie in this photo does not send in them to be accurately as it, but to value what we are and to improve because we want according to and not because I am “abnormal”, that say me to the magazines.”
To sum up my own perspective on the topic, I do uphold my initial post – I find it sad that unfit is the new normal. If you or anyone else has any comments, please feel free to post them