The Fat Debate: The Problem With Plus Size

‘The Fat Debate’ is something we have all been caught up in for years. How big is too big? If you’re happy does your size really matter?  I am overweight in terms of BMI, but I’m not what I would consider ‘fat’. I was the biggest I have ever been last month and I’m now on my way to being the size I have been for the majority of my adolescent life. I’m a standard 12-14.

Body image is a huge thing these days and not just in regards to weight but everything from hair length to tattoos to hairy bits. Weight is something that affects us all, not always in a bad way, but we all weigh something! I personally shudder at the thought of stepping on a scale and document weightloss by how tight my clothes are and how I look (very scientific, I know).

‘Plus Size’ is not only a phrase I fully despise but something that is spoken about frequently these days. Plus Size has been described as a size 12 in some modelling industries which has sparked outrage. I am a size 12-14, I don’t shop for Plus Size clothes but if you put me next to a size 4 (0 if you’re American) model I will most certainly appear Plus Size. So why the outrage? Plus Size is almost becoming a politically correct term for fat. I don’t want to bring out my inner Katie Hopkins here but lets be honest some people use Plus Size and curvy as excuses for being overweight. If, however, you prefer your body bigger, think you look great and you are not in any sort of danger from your size – GO GET UM! Be confident in your own skin!

Some people do not accept that people are built differently. I know for a fact I would look ridiculous being a size 6-8 but I also have friends of this size who would look equally ridiculous being a size 14. Sometimes, the size on your label isn’t down to too many pies, but simply down to your genes. It is also worth noting how people’s metabolisms work; I know size 8 people who could eat twice as much as me and not look any different, and I also know there’s people who only have to look at a slice of pizza to put on a stone. Same goes for lads as well.

I read something interesting today. Jamelia, who sang that cracking song ‘Superstar’ from the naughties and is now a Loose Woman and face of a ‘Self Esteem’ campaign, has been accused of body shaming. On an episode of Loose Women she said she didn’t think high street stores “should be providing clothes” for plus-sized women. “Yes, have specialist shops,” she said, “but you should feel uncomfortable if you are unhealthy.” 

Can somebody please define plus size? Even Google struggled when this was the result:

• (of a woman or women’s clothing) of a larger size than normal; outsize.

What exactly is ‘larger than normal’? Also, why does Jameila want these people walking around naked if she’s so offended by their size anyway? I have to say, I agree that if you’re unhealthy and you are cutting your life shorter by being overweight then you should attempt to change. BUT people have to respect that this may actually be a choice – just like people make a choice to smoke and drink, a choice to eat is also available. Can I also point out that there are petite ranges etc so what shouldn’t we accommodate everyone on the high street? If I’m honest I don’t really think entire shops dedicated to Plus Size women is the way forward. If people are already conscious about how they look why would they want to be seen walking into a ‘fat persons’ shop?

Plus Size is also a dictation of what people should be wearing. Being told that because of your weight you have to wear this and shop in this section. Just like when you see people saying you can’t wear a crop top, or you can’t wear leggings. Who are you to tell people what to wear. Obviously a see through pair of leggings is not the best look – no matter what your size. But that’s due to the quality of the fabric.

Campaigns are trying to encourage Plus Size to become the norm. Take the Dove Real Women campaign. Completely and utterly ridiculous. This is their campaign image:

Women sized 12-16 (at a push) and they all look great. This is supposed to be empowering. I feel fucking confused. Where are the flabby bits? The muffin top? The uneven skin tone? The God damn stretch marks?! Where are the scars and the spots and the non-perfect hair?! Thank goodness they gave one a tattoo and used a range of races – well done Dove! I am not taken in by things like this; I don’t look at this or magazines and think that this is how I should look, but some people will and that is the problem I have with this lunacy.

Get rid of Plus Size and lets just stick with good old fashioned Size. If you’re a size 2 I couldn’t care less, if you’re a size 22 I also couldn’t care less. The only person who should care about your weight is you. And if you think you’re fat; join a gym and eat more fruit and less pizza. If you’re happy with the pizza then fine, good for you!

Only your opinion matters – fuck Dove and fuck Jamelia.

Meghan Trainor: I don’t want her in my wolf pack.

I have resurrected my blog! Hurray.

I came across something on Twitter earlier which I really did not like.

Here we see Miss Meghan Trainor – the new poster girl for ‘appropriate body image’ and catchy songs.

Not only has her debut singing ‘All About That Bass’ caused some controversy (and rightly so), she can’t seem to control her mouth when it comes to body shaming.

As a size 14 I know I’m not the skinniest person in the world and I have learnt to embrace what I have and I encourage others to do the same (as long as it’s not directly affecting your health). We have become accustom to ‘skinny’ people being more desirable than somebody curvy since the 90’s, if not earlier. Now being slightly ‘heavier’ is becoming more ””normal”” because celebs are becoming more normal. Twitter and Instagram and other social networks allow us to see celebrities not in glossy mags and doing their day to day things. Sure, they’re still aspirational but they become slightly more relatable.

Meghan Trainor is sabotaging body equality with her warped views of how to make young girls feel less insecure about themselves. Skinny and fat can both be insults. Body dismorphia is a real issue and in a world where we can treat these illnesses the last thing we should be doing is categorising them as a ‘choice’. Sure, you can choose not to order a dominoes but you don’t chose to be hospitalised, you don’t choose to have a metal illness.

Who ‘tries’ to be anorexic? Silly little girls like Meghan Trainor. Not only are her views worrying – what I struggle with is she thinks what she’s saying is positive. She seems to think she’s saying ‘hey, you’ve got a few extra pounds, who cares?’ when really she’s saying ‘hey, you’ve got a few extra pounds but at least you ain’t no skinny bitch’ Skinny bitch is actually what she uses to describe girls thinner than herself. (See lyrics to ‘All About That Bass’)

She then says she’s not ‘strong enough’ to be anorexic. What’s strong is BEATING anorexia, not gaining it. We need to embrace those who have come out fighting and help those who are struggling. The strength is on the other side. The strength is beating it. There is no strength involved in being overcome by a mental illness. Just like there’s no strength in being struck down by something like flu. It isn’t preventable – it’s an I L L N E S S.

Clearly, she has struggled with body image in her past. I struggle with it on a daily basis and so do many girls older and younger than myself. Shaming others won’t change how you look. There is nothing wrong with being a size 8 or a size 18. The only time your weight should be shamed is if it is making you ill – by ill I mean heart disease or something equally life threatening.

I am the eldest of four close female cousins (I’m an only child so they are considered sisters). The majority of them are naturally very thin, I am naturally larger. I don’t want them to start looking at themselves and thinking how they look is not ‘ok’. I want them to feel like they look normal. I want different to be considered normal. I feel aspirational figures are good to an extent but I also feel if you’re changing the way you look it has to be for you. Not for others, not because you think boys are ‘all about that bass’ or because if you don’t have a thigh gap you’re fat, or because you have red stretch marks, purple stretch marks, white stretch marks and certainly not because people like Meghan Trainor write ‘feel-good’ songs that make you feel unworthy.

Not only that but I don’t want girls to compare themselves to their female friends. Thinking they’re unworthy or not pretty enough or thin enough to ‘hang out’ with. This girl hate needs to stop. Embrace every girl you meet – you both have tits, you both have periods, you both can’t get your eyebrows to go right every single day. There are certain things boys won’t fulfil that your girlfriends will. Embrace them, love them but don’t compare yourself to them.

You look fine.