A few weeks back I posted a piece on gorgeous Lizzie Miller, beauty standards, and the way Glamour magazine should be applauded for featuring a photo that captures the spirit of a woman who looks healthy and happy in her own skin. Now the fashion mag–which has included many ‘plus-sized’ models over the years–features seven women (including Lizzie) in an article about beauty in all shapes and sizes. They take the dialog one step further asking:
OK, let’s envision a world where women of more body types do get glamorous work in magazines and ad campaigns. Would female readers, viewers and buyers want it?
Glamour goes into detail about what it would take and of course, the answer is ultimately, us. But the reason this matters so much is bigger than determining which fashion models get work. It’s a topic taken on in recent years by Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty and others, but a message that needs to be repeated. Women and girls across the country–and beyond–face tremendous pressure to conform to an unrealistic, frequently unhealthy vision of what’s ’socially acceptable’, how we should look, and what we should weigh. Put simply, it’s pure nonsense. And yet, we perpetuate the myth by celebrating these ideals in media and popular culture. So solving the problem begins with changing ourselves.
I have observed firsthand too many college-aged women and high school girls suffering from bulimia and anorexia in a losing battle to achieve what only airbrush can. My close relationships with women seem to inevitably drift into discussions of weight, calories, and body image, while with men, these subjects come up in the broader context of health and fitness. I have listened to my friends–beautiful new mothers–tell me how much they hate their new bodies for the very shape they took to bring forth life.
In short, we’ve become intolerant of reality. That’s simply unacceptable.
Glamour’s article brought me encouragement. There is reason for hope, at least if we can stop obsessing over nonsense. In the end, overcoming the crisis is up to us.
