To not understand how this different from putting an anorexic model on the cover

[Spinderelle]

Cosmopolitan have a morbidly obese model on their cover this month. I am absolutely behind the idea of body positivity - after children my body is far from perfect and it’s nice to see companies like ASOS use larger women and not airbrush stretch marks etc.

But this model is dangerously obese and risking her health. How is that any different from having a dangerously thin model on the cover?

When I had anorexia as a teen, I wasn't glorified. My friends told me I was too skinny, they expressed concern and shock in P.E when we were changing, people said I made them cringe. I should eat more.

Also there is a difference between very slim and anorexic. I really doubt that if you put the below person on the cover, people would think it was normal or something to aspire to. Because the below picture is basically the skinny equivalent of Tess.

The difference is that no one is going to try and kill themselves to look like that.

Seriously? You don't know about feeders then?

Feeders/feederism is something entirely different to fashion modelling.

but I honestly don't think anybody aspires to be obese

Yes they do. They so do. Quick Google search will show you. ...

So? It still promotes obesity.

What I like to see is women on the front covers of magazines for things other than how they look, be it too fat or too thin. My 10 year old dd is starting to really focus on how she looks and spends ages getting dressed and sorting her hair to go out. DH and I constantly tell her that she needs to focus more on other things and how she looks is only a small part of her, but this isn't the message she is getting from society at large.

There's a difference though. It's like eating a bit too little v anorexia and eating a bit too much v feeder
I find the feeder stuff vile and it's as much a mental health issue as anorexia is

I don't think Tess ate just a bit too much.

If thin models triggered people into starving themselves we wouldn't have an obesity crisis in this country would we?

Non sequitur. From anorexics and accounts of obese people - images of skinny models seem to trigger both under-eating and over-eating.

So, in short, yes we would.

We would have exactly what we have now which is snowballing obesity and increasing anorexia rates.

Feederism is a sexual fetish. Are we going to start whining about breast implants because a few want to look like circus freaks?

No one is going to look at that cover and think "Wow, I better start hitting the pies!!". There won't be teenage girls in hospital at death's door because they piled on weight at a rate of knots to look like Tess Holliday.

And you think if they put an obviously ill anorexic woman on the cover that normal girls will suddenly become anorexic? The pro-ana movement have just as much mental problems as the feeder fetishists.

When I had ana, I was inspired by skinny models but NOT by severely underweight models.

Super skinny models represent something most normal people can’t realistically achieve. So they are really discouraged from even trying. That’s why normal looking models are a better idea because people can achieve that.

Its her body, who are you to decide whether its acceptable.

Fat women and men exist. Judging peoples bodies and only deeming certain types to be acceptable is so dangerous - HER health is HER responsibility. Being a fat person doesn't make her health your concern.

Go look at the likes of bodyposipanda on instagram - your body is your business. IDGAF if you think my body is unhealthy, no-one asked you, keep your opinions to yourself. Cosmo is a trash mag anyway, but some women are fat, about time a fat woman was on the cover.

This thread makes me so angry. Educate yourselves on the harm this type of thought process has on people's mental health.

She looks awful.

Cherry - my point! I think she has more issues than someone who is a size 16 and ate/eats 200 cals over their maintaining calories a day

Ollivander - sorry, misread!

What I don't get is, is that if she wasn't conventionally beautiful, would she still be on the cover? Would she have all the press and attention?

If she had a moon face that his her features, would she be there? I doubt it.

She claims to be against beauty standards with "eff your beauty standards" however she fits some of those standards.

She's a hypocrite, a nasty one at that, and a scam artist. She sold merchandising, it didn't materialise, and ignored people who asked for refunds.

She must be a junk food manufacturers dream!

No one is going to look at that cover and think "Wow, I better start hitting the pies!!"

No, but there will be those who think “oh, that’s clearly normal and fine”

She probably wouldn't get anywhere near as much attention if she weren't so overweight, because as much as she has a pretty face there are millions of pretty girls out there who are also of a more modelling-acceptable weight. Because obviously fat girls can't possibly be PRETTY, so she's treated as a novelty.

We had all this years ago with Sophie Dahl. She was extremely pretty though, this girl is boring looking. I guess she's fashionable.

No one thinks "it's normal and fine", and that's what she's built her entire career around!

Thanks for the imgur link. I had no idea she was a scam artist. How is she still in a job?

No one thinks "it's normal and fine"

I bet they do.

@soupdragon

Off the top of your head, name another model of her build. And I don't just mean "plus size models" that are usually only about a size 12, I mean another actually obese model.

If she were considered in any way "normal" she wouldn't have half of the attention she gets because she'd just be another "normal" girl with a nice face.