I showed this picture to several friends and family members and many of them preferred the top photo because it showed more sex appeal (whom I wonder why?). Media and society has preconditioned us to automatically see a long, slim model and think that the outfit would look better if we looked the same way. This issue continues to resonate in media since the modeling industry began to boom during the mid 1900s.
The biggest concern about body image comes with the isolation of curvy, plus sized models and thin models. In a recent study done by the University of Colorado, it was determined that the average American woman is actually 5'4 ft tall and weighs 140lbs, in comparison to the average American model who is 5'11 and weighs 117lbs. What we constantly see on the runway are models that meet these statistics. But where are the average size models, why are they not on the runway demonmstrating their capabilities?
The main issue has to do with many retailers and fashion trendsetters fearing that becoming involved in creating clothing for curvier or thicker women would damage their image. Since thickness and full figured women are not associated with upper class society. Brutal but true. It's incredible that 30% of women in America have an ideal body image that is 20% under their weight because they don't take into consideration body type, ethnicity and metabolism. The industry that profits the most from these misconceptions is the dieting industry with a growth in sales of 46% since 2009. If we continue to expose women to one type of body figure over another, we will continue to hinder future generations with an 'ideal' image that does not exist. Another study from the University of Colorado also shows that 75% of women feel insecure when they see images of women on television, movies and especially in Fashion magazines. And that percentage keeps increasing as the ideal size keeps decreasing.
After discussing this topic with several friends and family members I discovered that the issue stems from women not seeing enough curvy, full figured role models on television. Role models who are actually content with their body and are willing to speak out in defense of this body shape. This is especially important for women of Hispanic and Black ethnicities because these women are naturally fuller than the American or European women. Or so the media perceives it that way. Yet Hispanic and African American women have now become the target for media to scrutinize and obsessively condemn to fit the mold of a size 2 or size 4. It's amazing to see that no one I know who is average sized can name at least one plus size model. Hello! Queen Latifah! So in order for us to change this epidemic we need to acknowledge and request from the Fashion industry and media to expose those full figured models and let us know who they are and what they can do for us.
List of top 10 full figured models:
Crystal Renn
Toccara Jones
Whitney Thompson
Pollyanna McIntosh
Natalie Wakeling
Jordan Tesfay
Charlotte Coyle
Maggie Yumi Brown
Lizzie Miller
Kate Dillon