By
Russ Wung
July 22, 2009
We must have standards — even in not-so-lean times.
“I’m sick of these skinny models! Let’s have more real women in fashion!”
If I had a dime for every person who wrote something along these lines with the phrase “real women” somewhere on the Internet, I’d probably be a millionaire. A lot of people seem to have a chip on their shoulder against thin women, and it often spills over into a rage that can be downright vicious when it is directed at a specific person.
The phrase “real women” often appears with the statistic that the average woman is a size 14, according to a story published in the UK Daily Telegraph last month. The implication is that average is “good” and that standards of beauty that deviate from averages are “bad.” What most people are, it is best to be, to put it crudely. People want to see models that validate their own habits.
I’m 5 feet 6 inches tall and 130 pounds — below the male average. Would I begrudge the ladies their exasperating fetish for tall, muscular men? Should I suggest that these hunky fellows are not “real men”? Certainly not.
Somehow, though, thin women, rather favored by most men, are not included in the category of “real women” even if they are perfectly healthy. The usage of the phrase “real women” almost always leaves no doubt that the person connoted by the term is, well, “fat.”
In fact, the fashion industry, rather than acting contrary to this fat-affirming trend, is actually helping people disguise it by moving waistlines on clothing to all sorts of fat-obscuring places — anywhere but the natural waist. This is largely an ego booster, since it won’t fool an outside observer for long.
Mind you, there’s no doubt that the fashion sector does have more than a few unhealthy-looking people in it. We’ve all heard horror stories of models starving themselves or fashion designers telling aspiring catwalkers that their hips or breasts are too big. Then, there are eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia and so on. People die from these disorders, and not just models.
On the other hand, where are the horror stories of overweight or obese people dying from cardiovascular disease because they had clogged arteries or other complications arising from their weight? There aren’t any because it happens too often to be newsworthy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease eclipses even cancer in its toll and is currently the leading cause of death in the United States. We all know that obesity greatly increases the risk of heart disease.
Despite such risks, it would still be quite rude to walk up to a fat person and say, “Hey, no offense, but you should really watch your weight.” Yet people do this to thin women all the time, at least from the substantial number of anecdotes I’ve heard. It’s possible to naturally be a size zero and healthy, and it’s possible (though not exactly common) to naturally be a size 14 and healthy, yet it’s far more socially acceptable to harass the size zero than the “average” size 14.
If this country keeps stuffing its collective face and sitting on its collective behind, the average size will undoubtedly rise above a 14; for our standards of beauty (or our vanity sizes) to change in line with such a trend would be little more than self-rationalizing away the obesity problem. Most of us could live our lives a little healthier — a few by gaining weight, yes, but many more by losing it.
Reach columnist Russ Wung at opinion@dailyuw.com.
12 Comments
#1 Kristin C.
on July 21, 2009 at 7:08 p.m.(Olympia, WA | UW Community)
Russ, I agree with you and it ticks me off that, for instance, a recent reality dating show for larger women similar to the Bachelor has been touting its inclusion of "real women." Size-acceptance should include those of all sizes and as a heavy person I find the labelling of thin women as somehow not "real" pretty disgusting.
A thought about your idea about society not talking about fat people dying from CVD, etc. - this is mainly because "fat" has become an insult, something not to talk about. Children are quickly shushed when they point out that their auntie's hips or butts are big (my nephews included) because it is indeed considered a dire insult. (IMO, this trains children to think of fat people as "bad", when in truth people come in all shapes and sizes, but that's kind of beside the point.) When people say jokingly to thin women that they should "eat a sandwich," I think people do this because "thin" is considered the opposite of "fat" - it is a compliment, and thus pointing it out isn't rude, to the commenter's mind.
On the other hand, for as many anecdotes about thin-shaming as you've heard, there are many on the other side as well. From the more obvious and oft-heard "fatty, fatty 2x4" taunts to the crazier events that occur more than you'd think (overweight women out *exercising* who have comments and even food/garbage hurled at them from cars), just like the thin-shaming comments, each represents, to me, an intrusion on personal space that happens all too often (and to a certain extent most often with women).
Food for thought: Perhaps you've heard the thin women's anecdotes because fat people wouldn't ever tell you the story about how they got covered in half a milkshake and moo'd at because they dared be fat while exercising in public, because that draws attention to the embarrassing feature considered a personality defect. Given that the clothes you mention and all of society would rather pretend to look the other way because of this characterization, personal anecdotes might not be representative of actual experience.
#2 Margitte K.
on July 22, 2009 at 12:59 p.m.(UW Campus | UW Community)
I'd like to point out that people within the size and fat acceptance movements are generally pretty intentional about NOT using the term "real women"--it is mostly within mainstream media (shows like this new Bachelor-for-fatties) and personal blogs that terms like that are used. Obviously all (women-identified) women are REAL women, regardless of size.
Russ: I admire you for calling out sizeism where you see it, but it is ridiculous/outrageous/insulting to celebrate thin women as "real women" while simultaneously condemning fat women.
I would like to know what evidence you have to back up your claim that it is "not exactly common to naturally be a size 14 and healthy"--health has very little to do with size and almost everything to do with one's level of physical activity and the type of foods they consume. Because of this, there are plenty of thin and fat people (yes, even the "morbidly obese"!) who are healthy and many thin and fat people who are not.
And please, before you write an article like this again, why don't you talk to some size 14 women and some legitimately fat people before you make generalizations about their experiences, lifestyles, and overall health?
Thanks a million.
P.S.
Check out this article published last month: apparently very thin people die younger than obese people! And being overweight is the healthiest! OMG.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/...
#3 Belle
on July 22, 2009 at 6:06 p.m.(Kirkland, WA)
Since you have quoted your information from a British newspaper, I'd like to bring to your attention that the British size 14 is a little different from the US size 14. The British dress size 14 is closer to US size 8, depending on the brand of clothing.
Please reconsider your statements.
#4 Michelle
on July 24, 2009 at 11:40 a.m.(Seattle, WA | UW Community)
Russ - I want to thank you for writing this article. As one of the naturally thin people you mention in your article, I can't comment on what it's like to be overweight, but I experienced a lot of scrutiny growing up - people felt very free talking about what I ate and how I looked. Even if some of the comments were intended as compliments, they were backhanded to the point where I felt very insecure.
I now take a lot of pride in being healthy. I feel like our society's categorization of "real" women actually enables unhealthy behaviors, because people don't feel the need to change their habits. I don't feel like I am better than other women because of how I look or the choices I make, but I also think that we need to view healthy behavior as "good" - regardless of what size you are. At the end of the day, it's how you treat your body that matters, not the size you are.
#5 Russ W.
on July 26, 2009 at 3:07 a.m.(Redmond, WA)
Thanks Michelle!
Belle, that just means the Brits aren't as fat as we are... because in the US, the average size is STILL 14:
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/mar/...
The article's typical of what I criticize in the column, but the statistic is there in US sizes.
I therefore decline to reconsider my statements :P
#6 Wellthen
on August 3, 2009 at 6:08 p.m.(Seattle, WA | UW Community)
This column is lousy with hack generalizations.
Thin people are routinely harassed for being too thin/not being 'real', nobody gives fat people a hard time about their weight, fat people overeat, are sentient, and will die of heart disease, women prefer thin/muscular men, men prefer thin women, etc etc etc.
Good lord, did you just crib the entire text from The Big Book of Lazy Cliches? Real life is so much more complex and nuanced than wherever you live (some media-fueled vacuum? who knows). I'm what you would consider 'fat', I love and respect my thin friends for who and what they are, and they do the same for me. I'm a macrobiotic vegan and am very active in my daily life, I've never had any problem with finding dates, nor have I ever given two you-know-whats about what size some model on a runway in Milan is.
I mean hell, if you want to get all worked up over the outrageous injustices perpetrated against thin people, have fun wasting your time and energy on that - clearly you already have quite a good head start. But why not put your mind to work on an issue that actually exists and matters?
#7 Sean K.
on August 4, 2009 at 1:24 a.m.(Seattle, WA | UW Community)
I just wish people would smoke more. Whatya think about that?
#8 Bellaaa_
on October 7, 2009 at 6:12 a.m.(Hurstville, Australia)
"I'm sick of these skinny models! Let's have real women in fashion"
most women and girls say this because it is not a good representation of what they are or look like, thus giving men a false image of what women are 'suppost' to look like therfore resulting in a negative opinion about these models.
a false image would be a size 0 girl, when the average is (whatever it is, where your from) another false image would be a very (runway) skinny woman with big breasts & a big ass, this is a false image because [majority] skinny women DO NOT have these features, larger women do.
SO BASICALLY EVERYDAY WOMEN CAN'T LIVE UP TO WHAT THE MEDIA/FASHION INDUSTRY PORTRAYS AS RIGHT.
"People want to see models that validate their own habits." -'habits', no. but yes they (meaning not just overweight people) do want to see life-like humans, because 'people' or very vulrable teen girls and women look up to these models and want to become them, sometimes leading to bad health risks and conditions.
now while you (being an over-obsessed fashion freak) may think a woman only has to have a vagina & obviously NO BREASTS to be a woman, others think different, a woman is human who can give birth and is able to feed her children (with breasts, which MANY, not all. BUT MANY MODELS DON'T HAVE). my friends sister had to get an operation to get these 2 tubes inside her pelvis tied together to stop her from getting her period so she could model swimwear, now to me, she is no longer a woman.
"Despite such risks, it would still be quite rude to walk up to a fat person and say, “Hey, no offense, but you should really watch your weight.” Yet people do this to thin women all the time, at least from the substantial number of anecdotes I’ve heard. It’s possible to naturally be a size zero and healthy, and it’s possible (though not exactly common) to naturally be a size 14 and healthy, yet it’s far more socially acceptable to harass the size zero than the “average” size 14."
belive it or not, 'fat people' get harassment all the time, same with thin people.
"On the other hand, where are the horror stories of overweight or obese people dying from cardiovascular disease because they had clogged arteries or other complications arising from their weight?"
so where the hell have you been living? time to crawl out of your cave! there are adds all over the place for fat people to reduce their weight and weight programs.
you said men prefer thin women & women prefer muscular men ect. you're wrong and the ones that do its either their own prefrence, or their a teen boy who reads playboy or a teengirl who is overobsessed with fashion.
get your facts right.
#9 Removed
on October 7, 2009 at 6:15 a.m.#10 Removed
on October 7, 2009 at 3:50 p.m.#11 Rebecca_F
on October 7, 2009 at 3:51 p.m.(Denver, CO | UW Community)
The nature of internet, television, etc. is that you communicate and often see images of people and places that are different than the area that you live. And many, very real women, are not average. In fact, it's possible to have an average without any member of the group being exactly average. Reality is that women come in many different sizes. That's real. To be at either extreme end of the spectrum (over or under weight) is unhealthy. I would suggest that as women we should be concerned first with what is healthy and let fashion fall in second to that. We wouldn't all be the same weight. But think how much happier we could all be?
While some body types may be statistically more likely to be rated as attractive by members of the opposite sex, not every man is necessarily attracted to (or should be attracted to) the same type of woman - whether that be weight, height, color, hair, or non-physical aspects such as personality. Same for what type of men women find attractive. Cultural norms also may vary.
Bellaaa_, your definition of women doesn't strictly hold. Certainly a woman is human. As a generality, I suppose we could say she is capable of having children, but some women may be infertile for whatever reasons - whether by choice or otherwise. Having tubes tied sounds like too high a price for modeling to me. But I think you are being unfair and very harsh is saying that makes someone "no longer a woman". Some women have this operation simply for birth control and/or because of health complications. Additionally, some women may have even more serious surgeries (removal of womb and/or ovaries) which prevent pregnancy for medical reasons such as cancer.
"and considering your name (east asian [sic]) i'm [sic] not surprised you have a fetish for skinny women. your [sic] women don't eat at all!
You don't know even know where Russ grew up. Shame on you for rendering such judgment based on someone's ethnic surname! "your women don't eat at all!" That is a gross generalization and if it were true, there wouldn't be any East Asian women.
You are racist and disrespectful to many, real women.
#12 Katie F.
on October 8, 2009 at 2:26 a.m.(Seattle, WA)
Dear Russ,
I have posted an open letter to you on my personal blog, as The Daily's website does not allow me to post more than 3000 characters in a comment on you're article. I welcome you to take a look. http://katieannfarten.blogspot.com/20...
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