Plus size model on Sports Illustrated cover unhealthy?

[Christine]

Interesting article: Is Fat The New Normal?

http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/is-fat-the-new-normal?page=1

Very interesting and I think it sums up what Cheryl Tiegs is trying to unartfully say. It's called fat acceptance. My son's pediatrician talked about it about 15 years ago. He said that we've forgotten what a normal child should look like (sort of like a dog where you can easily see/feel rib bones). So many people are heavier than we have been historically that what we see as normal, really isn't. We do have a new normal.

 

[gwynne]

But the discussion is not about Ashley personally nor her health.

The discussion is about glamorizing or trying to make it seem "ok" to be overweight. Facts and statistics show that leading a life being overweight contributes to and raises the risk for many diseases. It is but ONE factor, yes. But it is a factor. No one is saying that you can't get sick when you're thin. And people have been pretty vocal over the years about the advertising industry going in reverse and showing unrealistic, thin body types which tend to cause body image issues. Tiegs is just stating that fat acceptance can also cause people to not think about health aspects of being overweight. Personally, I'm not saying that she shouldn't be on the cover. Frankly, I like seeing more of a representation out there, but I get what she's trying to say.

Hmmmm.....I think Tiegs should leave the health discussion to licensed medical personnel. Frankly, she's not qualified to give any expert advice on the subject.
Now, she certainly can be an elder ex-supermodel that is bothered by women who she happily judges as overweight and unhealthy.

 

[Kimberlyann11]

There are some studies I have read that indicate that accepting your body and having higher self-confidence makes you more likely to make healthy choices in terms of food or exercise.

The magazine is showing several body types. I don't think any girls/women are seeing SI swimsuit edition and then deciding..."I should eat more donuts to look like the overweight model"

I so agree with this. DD is overweight. She wants to try the sport her friend competes in so I offered to get her some lessons. She told me that she wants to wait until she loses some weight. Now this is a sport she can have fun with at her current size and burn some calories at the same time. It's not super strenuous, but it's active. I am trying to talk her into taking the lessons as I think it would be great for her health and her social life.

So... show bigger models running on the beach, playing volleyball, fencing, working out at the gym. Let our girls know that you can be active no matter what your size is.

 

[Christine]

Hmmmm.....I think Tiegs should leave the health discussion to licensed medical personnel. Frankly, she's not qualified to give any expert advice on the subject.
Now, she certainly can be an elder ex-supermodel that is bothered by women who she happily judges as overweight and unhealthy.

Was she giving advice or just spouting her opinion somewhere that just got picked up and went viral?

 

[smiths02]

But the discussion is not about Ashley personally nor her health.

The discussion is about glamorizing or trying to make it seem "ok" to be overweight. Facts and statistics show that leading a life being overweight contributes to and raises the risk for many diseases. It is but ONE factor, yes. But it is a factor. No one is saying that you can't get sick when you're thin. And people have been pretty vocal over the years about the advertising industry going in reverse and showing unrealistic, thin body types which tend to cause body image issues. Tiegs is just stating that fat acceptance can also cause people to not think about health aspects of being overweight. Personally, I'm not saying that she shouldn't be on the cover. Frankly, I like seeing more of a representation out there, but I get what she's trying to say.

But maybe seeing a woman on the cover like Ashley will make girls think that they should get out there and do sports (like swimming)? On the cover, she looks active, in a swimsuit...it's not like a smoking ad where she is looking glamorous eating a donut.

 

[Christine]

But maybe seeing a woman on the cover like Ashley will make girls think that they should get out there and do sports (like swimming)? On the cover, she looks active, in a swimsuit...it's not like a smoking ad where she is looking glamorous eating a donut.

I agree. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against Ashley being on the cover. What I am agreeing with is that I see some of the point that Cheryl Tiegs was making. While we don't need to be "fat shaming" which, believe me, was a big deal growing up in the 60s and 70s, we need to be careful about what we portray as something to strive for. Like the article posted by Anna above, with the drastic increase in obesity, we are losing sight of what is a normal, healthy weight (to control diabetes, joint issues, etc) and it is making us think that a body 20-50 lbs heavier (and I'm referring to the overall gain of the population not Ashley) is normal. And may be okay? As I said above, we have already recognized that stick thin models aren't good to portray either and I think we have gradually gotten away from that. Even I notice more women shown have more muscles/definition and look better.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It was my impression that Cheryl Tiegs had not had any plastic surgery. But I can't tell. I can't see any traces of it in her photos. If so, then on one hand we criticize older actresses that get it but then say how awful they look when they don't have anything done. She has a face full of wrinkles, sagging eyes, and a sagging jawline. She would not have any of that if she got work done.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I always thought she was a beautiful woman. But seeing recent pictures of her I was shocked. Although she denies it, here's what a plastic surgeon has to say about it.

Paul Nassif, a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Beverly Hills, feels the supermodel has had cosmetic surgery. He states, “Cheryl Tiegs appears to have had a facelift, possibly fillersand Botox, and there is also a possibility she had rhinoplasty at one point in her life. She also may have had filler, such as Restylane, injected in her lips. She still looks good, but should avoid any additional work.”

http://www.plastic-surgery-implants.com/cheryl-tiegs-plastic-surgery/

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Bad edit

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Very interesting and I think it sums up what Cheryl Tiegs is trying to unartfully say. It's called fat acceptance. My son's pediatrician talked about it about 15 years ago. He said that we've forgotten what a normal child should look like (sort of like a dog where you can easily see/feel rib bones). So many people are heavier than we have been historically that what we see as normal, really isn't. We do have a new normal.

While I hear your point, I'm saddened in a way. It feels like "fat" people are the last people it's ok to discriminate against in our society. These aren't just "ideas", they're people.

 

[Disneychick75]

Was she giving advice or just spouting her opinion somewhere that just got picked up and went viral?

Tiegs was asked at Global Green USA.
Christine, you and I must be about the same age. I was a teenager in the 70's. It seems that skinny shaming has become the new fat shaming. Guess it must go with whichever shape is considered "normal" at the time.
On "The Talk" today, Sharon Osborne slammed Tiegs for what she said about Ashley Graham yet she kept emphasizing that Tiegs was old like that was a bad thing. So, it's alright to criticize someone you think made a disparaging remark about weight but it's okay to be ageist. Oh and Osborne is 63.

 

[Disneychick75]

While I hear your point, I'm saddened in a way. It feels like "fat" people are the last people it's ok to discriminate against in our society. These aren't just "ideas", they're people.

Nah, helicopter parents, those who don't have the same political opinions, smokers, etc. - there are lots of groups of people who face discrimination.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

This model is not on the cover of health magazine. She's not being shown for her health status.

I'm in the camp of you can't tell anything about somebody's health by looking at them. I also think it's dangerous that we (as a country) automatically say fat=unhealthy and thin=healthy. It's dangerous for all of us. I had a friend who was talking to me about some health issues, I asked if she had been tested for type 2 because it sounded like classic symptoms.

Her response "I can't have type two diabetes, that's from being too fat. Only fat people get that. Everybody knows that." Surprisingly and sadly, she's not the only person I've heard say that. She ended up being diagnosed with her numbers and A1C through the roof and complications already starting. She figured that as long as you stay at the proper weight that you can eat however you want.

If we're going to make health a marker for magazines or celebrity so that we don't "glamorize" something unhealthy then all cover models should be vetted by a dietician, no smoking or excessive drinking allowed, no drug use or risky sex behaviors.

We glamorize plenty of people who have unhealthy habits. How is being on just the wrong side of the bmi so much worse?

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Cheryl Tiegs is a dried up old hag who is desperately trying to hang on to what's left of her Supermodel life. Did you see the horrible outfit she was wearing when she was asked the question?

Seriously, she has no business commenting on anyone else's appearance.

Cheryl lost all her looks. Too bad she didn't lose her shallowness.

 

[gwynne]

While I hear your point, I'm saddened in a way. It feels like "fat" people are the last people it's ok to discriminate against in our society. These aren't just "ideas", they're people.

And in Tieg's world, size 14 is FAT. Anyway, it's generally nice to know how someone thinks, what is important to them. It's usually revealing.

 

[robinb]

Interesting article: Is Fat The New Normal?

http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/is-fat-the-new-normal?page=1

The problem I have with that article is that it is all based on BMI which is equally a crock of crap as the old insurance weight tables. It takes nothing but height and weight into account. My VERY athletic size 4 16-year old DD is on the verge of being "overweight" and I can assure you she is far from it!

 

[Disneychick75]

The problem I have with that article is that it is all based on BMI which is equally a crock of crap as the old insurance weight tables. It takes nothing but height and weight into account. My VERY athletic size 4 16-year old DD is on the verge of being "overweight" and I can assure you she is far from it!

The CDC says to use BMI as a screening tool but a doctor should make an assessment.

 

[robinb]

The CDC says to use BMI as a screening tool but a doctor should make an assessment.

My point is that the article used BMI as the basis of proof. That 2/3rds of Americans have a BMI of 25 or higher. My size 4, wears a small in everything DD has a 24.7 BMI.

 

[MamaLema]

I haven't read the entire thread, but I think it's great that they put a different kind of body on the cover. We have come so far with other issues, but have barely made progress on weight acceptance. I don't think someone will look at the cover and say "she is overweight and it's OK to be overweight" It's more like "She is overweight and she can still be successful."

 

[North of Mouse]

I'm in the camp of you can't tell anything about somebody's health by looking at them. I also think it's dangerous that we (as a country) automatically say fat=unhealthy and thin=healthy. It's dangerous for all of us. I had a friend who was talking to me about some health issues, I asked if she had been tested for type 2 because it sounded like classic symptoms.

Her response "I can't have type two diabetes, that's from being too fat. Only fat people get that. Everybody knows that." Surprisingly and sadly, she's not the only person I've heard say that. She ended up being diagnosed with her numbers and A1C through the roof and complications already starting. She figured that as long as you stay at the proper weight that you can eat however you want.

Does she exercise regularly? Actually, in all my friends, acquaintances, and relatives, there are none that I know of that is of normal size, 'and' exercises regularly that has diabetes. You're right that just being thin does not equal 'healthy'. But keeping a good weight for your age and size, watch what you ingest, plus regular exercise does a great job of staving off some main diseases - like diabetes, heart issues, high blood pressure, etc.

Of course, there are exceptions to any rule, and it's never a guarantee, but you do what you can to stay healthy, then that's all you can do.
We can't change heredity and that also plays a large part.

 

[Kimberlyann11]

This model is not on the cover of health magazine. She's not being shown for her health status.

I'm in the camp of you can't tell anything about somebody's health by looking at them. I also think it's dangerous that we (as a country) automatically say fat=unhealthy and thin=healthy. It's dangerous for all of us. I had a friend who was talking to me about some health issues, I asked if she had been tested for type 2 because it sounded like classic symptoms.

Her response "I can't have type two diabetes, that's from being too fat. Only fat people get that. Everybody knows that." Surprisingly and sadly, she's not the only person I've heard say that. She ended up being diagnosed with her numbers and A1C through the roof and complications already starting. She figured that as long as you stay at the proper weight that you can eat however you want.

If we're going to make health a marker for magazines or celebrity so that we don't "glamorize" something unhealthy then all cover models should be vetted by a dietician, no smoking or excessive drinking allowed, no drug use or risky sex behaviors.

We glamorize plenty of people who have unhealthy habits. How is being on just the wrong side of the bmi so much worse?

Genetics is such a huge factor! My dad's side of the family consists of very large women who live well into their 80's with few health complications. Not a bit of diabetes, no heart disease, no cancer - just lucky genetics. I am overweight and ace my physicals every year. I don't take any meds on a regular basis. My blood pressure when I am at a lower weight borders on being too low. My mom is at a "normal" weight and has to take meds to keep her blood pressure up and keep her from passing out and hitting the floor. Before I get accused of being in denial, I will admit that my knees would feel better if I dropped a few - and way better if I dropped more than a few - but as it stands I am a healthy person.

The rash generalization of fat=unhealthy gets really old after awhile.