There are a lot of people we can blame the world’s problems on. Ashley Graham is not one of them.
Yet the model — along with other plus-size models — are being accused of “normalizing” obesity and causing people to underestimate their own weight as a result of promoting body positivity in the fashion industry.
Sociologists from the University of East Anglia found that only almost a third (33%) of women in England think they are at a healthy weight when they are not, compared to under a quarter (25%) who underestimated their weight two decades ago.
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The study of more than 23,000 people also found that half of overweight British men recognize they are overweight or obese, while the other half falsely believe they are at a healthy weight.
So, who’s to blame for all this? According to study author Dr. Raya Muttarak, the “body positive movement” — including stores for “curvy” women and the surge in popularity of plus-size models — might be behind people’s denial about their body size. She explained:
“Seeing the huge potential of the fuller-sized fashion market, retailers may have contributed to the normalisation of being overweight and obese. While this type of body positive movement helps reduce stigmatisation of larger-sized bodies, it can potentially undermine the recognition of being overweight and its health consequences.”
Muttarak’s research found that only about half of these overweight people were making efforts to slim down, which could put them at greater risk of heart attacks, strokes, and type 2 diabetes.
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Sure, health is important — but let’s not target the curvey trailblazers who are making an already problematic industry more inclusive.
Because if we’re going to start pointing fingers at models, we’d also have to include the rail thin specimens who have been promoting entirely different health risks to the general public for decades. Let’s move forward, shall we?
Of course, that’s just our opinion. What do U think?
[Image via WENN.]
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