This is fat? THIS is FAT?!?!?!Are you KIDDING ME?
Look at Tyra...doesn't she look fabulous?
I should look so "fat." Really. Truly.
I'm not a fan of Tyra, or rather, I should say, I haven't been up to this point. Before all of her TV stuff (which I should admit I don't really watch; I've merely tuned in once or twice in order to be able to have an opinion) she was just a face, and after that, she was sort of, well, a Stuck Up Girl, or so it seemed. She reminded me of the girl I gave wide berth to in high school...because you just never knew if her sweetie voice was going to actually be nice, or bitchy and mocking.
However, after reading the People magazine article, I might like one or two aspects of this chick.
Let's run some stats and compare me and my new friend here:
Tyra: 5'10", 161 lbs, gorgeous, healthy, mega rich and successful retired supermodel, major TV personality
Julie: 5'10", weight moving down, good hairut, getting healthy, coupon clipper, mom, mainly anonymous
I'm sure you can imagine---after I've worked so hard to lose weight, get healthy and look and feel great---how maddening it is to see the media crucify Banks for being a healthy weight for her height instead of too skinny. After all, she weighs right at my goal (my goal weight is 155-160). That's my good, healthy, don't-have-to-bend-over-backwards to maintain it weight.
Of course, on me it looks nothing like it does on her, but I say (with all sincerity) that's fine by me.
Her weight is in the healthy range.
And Tyra is happy with it, "I still feel hot."
She should. She looks hot. She is hot. In fact, I dare say she looks hotter now than ten years ago.
I think mature female bodies are lovely. I think women who look healthy and are comfortable in their own natural and healthy size (which, for the record, evolves with time for most of us) are gorgeous.
We can't all have the Ally McBeal and Audrey Hepburn thing going on. So that (meaning: waifishly thin) can't and shouldn't be the only measure of "pretty."
She is concerned, as am I, with how this obsession and vicious judgment ("America's Next Top Waddle" and "fat" and "disgusting" and "ugly" to quote a few comments.) will affect young women and women's body images:
"I get so much mail from young girls who say, 'I look up to you, you're not as skinny as everyone else, I think you're beautiful,' " she says. "So when they say that my body is 'ugly' and 'disgusting,' what does that make those girls feel like?"
I can tell you: it makes me feel mad, seriously annoyed.
Like Tyra, I prefer eating pancakes at IHOP to dieting into small designer sizes. I'm not a big fan of exercising, but will do it (under duress) for health. I want to be healthy, not skinny. I want to feel good.
And for people who think 162 at almost six feet is fat, ugly and disgusting, go SOD OFF. Really.
You know what I think? I don't think anyone really thinks Tyra is fat. Or really, not that many, and probably not even many of the members of the media coming up with such charming monikers as "America's Next Top Waddle."
I think they're just being vicious. Making news. Pointing and laughing to feel better about themselves.
Tyra Banks is NOT FAT.
Although I lost another pound, I'm still not quite through my goal barrier. Next week. As God is mah wihtness, I shall lose at least two pounds next week!
copyright 2007 Julie Pippert
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Tags: Tyra Banks and alleged fat,women's sizes,types of women's figures, diet, too skinny celebrities
Comments
It reminds me of the old Trisha Yearwood song, "Real Live Woman". That may be the first indication I recall that women were beginning to fight back.
Peace,
~Chani
I read somewhere that the average U.S. woman weighs 162. Clearly, most celebrities are "below average" when it comes to weight, yet that is what is portrayed as normal and beautiful and sexy by the media. It's a tough show to follow. Standards that few women can live up to. Standards that make many women feel discouraged and dejected.
Me included.
Sandy.
you, however, have never looked more beautiful. you are doing it!
Queen and Stephanie, extra huge kudos to you guys for honest stats. I waffled on putting my real weight in the post. Wrote, erased, repeat. I imagine anyone who can add can figure it out LOL.
Sandy, AMEN!!!!! I've quit looking at celebrities. After all, I don't really know any, and clearly they are NOT the average person so what's the point? I look at my friends.
Mary-Lue, I read something about someone being size 10-12 and the comment was something about geesh isn't that plus sized and I about died.
The average US woman wears 11-14. THAT is average, so Mary, you are SO RIGHT.
(Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
I'm sick of this arbitrary scale for women's sizes. I like men's sizes.
In fact, I like to buy men's trousers sometimes. They seem to accept more variance in build for men than women. I can find clothes long enough for my legs and the right circumference for my waist and hips. I wish women's clothes did this...men's stuff isn't usually cut right for a female figure.
Chani, Christina and Jen, you guys are so right.
Thanks all!
Congrats on the great weight loss, a pound a week is good, coming off slowly is healthy (I know easier said than lived!).
When I was breastfeeding I watched a lot of TV (putting the boob back in boob tube, I liked to quip at the time). I watched some of America's next top model and it did not do a good job of selling healthy body image. I hope that Tyra has come round.
Me, I'm hoping to one day be a size 11-12 again. If it doesn't happen, I won't cry a river of tears. Keep up the good work.
I'm glad she came out about this, but would she have if she hadn't been photographed with her gut out? Again, I'm glad but she still grates on me sometimes :-)
I think our MILF group is where it's at...real women!
I heard an interview with an addiction counselor on NPR who works with adolescent girls to re-train them to recognize healthy women's bodies. Before the training, they identify ONLY pre-pubecent bodies as healthy; after the training, more average bodies. I'm in the middle of writting a Part 2 post on that, actually....