Rise Of the Real People

The more we show we are not comfortable with what we look like, the more we will be labeled as overweight or underweight. Stop buying all those fashion magz, buying diet pills and diet food, who the hell cares?
As long as we feel good and healthy, that's all that matters, better that, than have someone look at us and think we are either sick or a pig that doesn't take care of themeselves... please, i juat gave birth to my second child, and i'm 5ft and weight under 100 lbs, people would think i'm anorexic, but who cares, both my kids were over 8 lbs and my husband weights 230, so it goes to show, that it's not lack of food in the house, it's called metabolism, whether you are skinny or fat, it doesn't matter, be proud of whom you are and expose yourself out there, the more we do that, the less we will be criticized as women.

I find it encouraging that the runway is starting to use real people. There are all different shapes and sizes out there, and not everyone can achieve the current media ideal. I agree with previous comments that we should get our children to be active. If only the economy (and the expected ideal of living) could allow for one parent to stay home or work part time to give better care. If parents could find the time, we could prepare healthier meals, play with our children, and take the time to teach them manners. Unfortunately to maintain a middle class status both parents usually have to work. I find that our increasing work hours, expanding waistlines, and exceedingly violent society are all connected. We need some pretty extreme changes and I don't see them coming anytime soon, curse that infernal industrial revolution. Maybe if we could just go back to simpler times we might find ourselves less liberated and educated, but with better health and more time for our children. If we could stop being bombarded my the ideal media image, we could focus on the inner and outer qualities that make us all unique. A great step in the right direction, I look forward to seeing more real sized models.

Fashion should lead not follow in directing taste. Models should reflect what a healthy, well-maintained body should look like.

OMG People, BMI is a guideline, there are no absolutes in the realm of health and weight management. I have been above and within what those "guidelines" state and am much healthier within those guidelines! Most professional athletes for example will be well outside that guideline and are extremely healthy! someone at my height at 120lbs is healthy as is someone 158...its a huge range and only a guideline, people know what healthy is, and no it is not attached to a number on a scale, those provisions are a general standard, and I dont think that I am part of any problem, I think that promoting a healthy lifestyle by example or by passing on information is not a problem, and I do enjoy this dialogue. I hope more people sound off because it is facinating to hear everyone's opinion. But my opinion is just that...mine alone, you can take it as you will but I am only speaking from my general experiences. I have a goal weight of 145 and it is not because a guideline tells me it should be, i am within standard guidelines as is, but I know that for my body I was healthiest at 145.

i am a thick woman, and by that i mean i wear a 14. If i got down to the national average weight, i would look like I haven't eaten in a week. Americans eating habits ( I say that because I AM A PROUD AMERICAN), are lousy, and i am sure that if the world opened up to a larger model, then that opens a door to be fashionable, not flabby. even the manequins in stores are not realistic. the same ones in the womens department, as well as the petite department. I challenge the fashion world to give more emphasis to the larger woman.

Chubby is not always unhealthy , overweight is unhealthy. How healthy you are depends on your genetic makeup. If plumpness is a family trait and they live relatively disease free long lives I think it's ok. But if they are overweight due to inactivity and bad eating habits it could be a big problem. Thin or chubby a woman has to be a real woman without all the me me me syndrome to get my attention.

I think the thing that bothers me the most about some of these posts is that a lot of people still don't know what healthy is. Healthy isn't a number on the scale and it's not a number found on the BMI chart. Health is having good cholestarol levels, good blood pressure, good liver enzymes and good insulin levels. Nothing on your scale or on any BMI chart will ever tell you that you are healthy. I'm so tired of ppl assuming b/c they are thin they are healthier (read better) than the fat person sitting next to them. WAKE UP PEOPLE Skinny and fat ppl a like have heart attacks, diabeties, etc. It's about how many flights of stairs you can get up without being out of breath, not what size jeans you wear. I'm glad they are using real models, it's about time the run way reflected the ppl who wear the items and it's about time that designers recognized that if you want to make money you sell to the masses. So for all of you that think because my BMI is 30 (jamis1221 intelligent doctors won't look at BMI when determing health) and my dress size is 16 that I'm unhealthy I'd challenge you to a real test of fitness because I assure you I'm fit. BTW my "chubby chaser" (as you put it realfire696969) husband loves my nice solid curves and so do I!

Being a size 12-16 depending on your height is not overweight. As a matter of fact, I am 5'7 wear a size 10-12 depending on the clothes, was a three sport athlete in college and have a healthy BMI, I was 142 in college and after college, compliments of working in a bar, and eating unhealthy i did at one point have a BMI of 27 and was overweight, I am no longer heavy have lost 25lbs, and work out at 6am every morning to keep it that way, my family has a history of diabetes and I took ownership of my own health and took the initative to be healthy, I am not a stick figure by anymeans and weight is something that I have to work at to remain healthy so dont assume. I appreciate everyone who works at being healthy but even being 10-15lbs overweight will inevidebly have negative effects on your health in the long run. What I am promoting is that people try to be healthy! Not fat, and mabye that term is harsh but I do not beleive in glorifying anything to feel better about it. And again I will state for the record. DO NOT LET YOUR KIDS BE FAT! It will have a negative effect on their emotional/physical wellbeing, and the hurtful things that happen as a child stay with you your whole life...and no I was not a fat child, i played every sport imaginable and was healthy and happy.

I think models should not have eating disorders (anorexia or over-eating)...that promotes the wrong message to people. Models should be people that exercise and eat right, not just people that don't eat to be thin. Regardless, we should not let models be examples for our children. Responsibly remains with the parents to live a healthy lifestyle as an example and to encourage same.

Wow....jamis1221-what is your ideal weight for someone not to be fat in your eyes? Being a size 12-16 is not fat and that is what most of the plus size models are; They are giving real women in the real world the oppurtunity to feel beautiful even if they are a size 0. I am going to assume (ASSUME) that you are thin and have always been thin and have no problem critizising someone that doesn't meet your criteria for being healthy. Like I say I am a healthy plus size girl. I weigh more than those charts say but my health is just fine and I don't strut around stating that it is okay for me to be a big girl but I am not going to bow down to some skinny twit that tells me she believes being fat, plus size, a whale or anything else you call someone that looks unhealthy to you that being thin is better for me; FYI I saw that Ugly Betty episode and they weren't promoting obesity they were promoting beauty even if you didn't see it or grasp the concept of what the show was trying to promote-reminder the girl was starving herself to stay thin and fit in with the other models, hey heres a concept if your fat starve yourself so you can feel good and make everyone that thinks your gross feel better about what you look like.

Wow....jamis1221-what is your ideal weight for someone not to be fat in your eyes? Being a size 12-16 is not fat and that is what most of the plus size models are; They are giving real women in the real world the oppurtunity to feel beautiful even if they are a size 0. I am going to assume (ASSUME) that you are thin and have always been thin and have no problem critizising someone that doesn't meet your criteria for being healthy. Like I say I am a healthy plus size girl. I weigh more than those charts say but my health is just fine and I don't strut around stating that it is okay for me to be a big girl but I am not going to bow down to some skinny twit that tells me she believes being fat, plus size, a whale or anything else you call someone that looks unhealthy to you that being thin is better for me; FYI I saw that Ugly Betty episode and they weren't promoting obesity they were promoting beauty even if you didn't see it or grasp the concept of what the show was trying to promote-reminder the girl was starving herself to stay thin and fit in with the other models, hey heres a concept if your fat starve yourself so you can feel good and make everyone that thinks your gross feel better about what you look like.

I am proud of "healthy" people that can walk on a runway and strutt their stuff, I for one would not have that kind of confidence to let hundreds of people see my body. Society has not moved into a mindset of being overweight is the new norm, it is more that families these days do not cook, instead they are going to Mcdonalds or KFC for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On top of that kids do not have chores anymore either, get the kids off the XBox or whatever it is they play with these days and make them go outside to play basketball, football, play with other kids, mow the yard, and put the family back into the kitchen and eating a the table and you will find a healthier society.

That guy in the picture on the left isn't just ugly, he is rurnt, the past tense of ruin.But he is like the vast majority of us, myself included.When I was a little kid, they had to tie a hambone around my neck so that the dog would play with me.Keep up the good stuff.

This is a profound step in the right direction. A constant bombardment of ultra-thin females will only perpetuate the self-esteem and eating disorder crisis we are experiencing.

Nice grammer realfire696969. How much education did you receive? 5th grade maybe?

Real people have body fat... It's not normal to be a stick figure. There is nothing more disgusting than the sight of bones sticking out of one's body. How can looking at something resembling a carcass possibly be appealing? I would rather see fat than something resembling a carcass.