A Double-Edge Sword... Monday, December 17

A STORY OFF FACEBOOK:

A while back, at the entrance of a gym, there was a picture of a very thin and beautiful woman. The caption was "This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?"

The story goes, a woman (of clothing size unknown) answered the following way:

"Dear people, whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, seals, curious humans), they are sexually active and raise their children with great tenderness. They entertain like crazy with dolphins and eat lots of prawns. They swim all day and travel to fantastic places like Patagonia, the Barents Sea or the coral reefs of Polynesia.  They sing incredibly well and sometimes even are on cds. They are impressive and dearly loved animals, which everyone defend and admires.

Mermaids do not exist.

But if they existed, they would line up to see a psychologist because of a problem of split personality: woman or fish?  They would have no sex life and could not bear children.  Yes, they would be lovely, but lonely and sad. And, who wants a girl that smells like fish by his side?

Without a doubt, I'd rather be a whale.

At a time when the media tells us that only thin is beautiful, I prefer to eat ice cream with my kids, to have dinner with my husband, to eat and drink and have fun with my friends.

We women, we gain weight because we accumulate so much wisdom and knowledge that there isn't enough space in our heads, and it spreads all over our bodies.  We are not fat, we are greatly cultivated.  Every time I see my curves in the mirror, I tell myself: "How amazing am I ?!"

ONE PERSON'S COMMENT:

Depending on the whales size, social structure, environment, species and type (baleen or toothed) their diets can change drastically from small aquatic life forms such as fish, shrimp, larvae, plankton, crabs, krill and squid to larger marine mammals such as sea lions, walruses, seals, sharks, birds and even large whales.

MY COMMENT:

I think this argument is like a double-edge sword. Yes, we shouldn't be promoting such ideas like a size zero (or whatever small size) is beautiful but we also shouldn't forget the importance of body fat on our health. Sure, many may view this model as stunning, that's true, but carrying extra body fat is not healthy. The issue here should be on what is healthy, not what is beautiful because what is beautiful to one is not to another. And yes, to say something like "do you want to be a whale or a mermaid" doesn't touch bases on the real issue.

THE MODEL: Tara Lyn

A plus size model who is 5'9" (175cm) 

Measurements: 38-34-47 (which is 96.5-86.4-119.4 for those who use centimeters)

MY ISSUE

For starters, Tara Lyn is by no means a large woman and actually she is very reflective of the average North American woman. If she were to walk down the street, she'd surely blend in with that of the other women. I cringe at how they call her a "plus size" model and would much rather call her an "average size" model. 

I think Tara is a stunningly beautiful lady but that's irrelevant to my point here.  My point is that while we shouldn't be supporting underweight models, we also shouldn't be supporting overweight models either. Of course the overweight models are more realistic but the reality is that experts are saying we're in an "obesity epidemic". A total of 74.1% of Americans, according to a recent study by the World Health Organization, are overweight or obese. Moreover, according to the latest study by CTV news, 51% of Canadians fall into this same category. 

Obese is based on body fat percentage.  If you're a woman with more than 32% body fat (25% or more if you're a male) then you are considered to be obese. Tara Lyn's body fat percentage registers in at 41%, putting her well above the obese starting point.

As I stated above, the issue here ISN'T whether or not she's beautiful. Her confidence in sporting her womanly curves and loving her body is definitely respectable and is what makes her beautiful to many. However, when I look at her I see the underlying potential health problems so I have a problem with her picture. My issue is about the need to promote a healthy image for woman. Both the underweight model and the overweight model project images of unhealthiness and just because Tara is more "like one of us" doesn't mean it's ok.

Some health problems that affect overweight individuals include asthma, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, hypertension, high cholesterol, Blount disease (bone deformity caused by excessive weight on growing bones and joints), Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphyses (SCFE -- hip problem), an increase risk of heart attack and stroke, gallstones, liver damage, Pseudotumor Cerebri (sever headaches which is often joined with vomiting, unsteady walking and vision problems), fertility problems, type 2diabetes, and depression. Are these things ok?! No, they're not.
 
Moreover, because she is a professional plus size model, like any other model, she has to maintain specific measurements and that's another issue. It's one thing to be of bigger size but it's another thing to not want to lose the weight and become healthier. This DOES NOT mean I think a certain size is better, no, I've never believed that there's a certain size for what is beautiful but I don't think wanting to stay obese and at 41% body fat is beautiful either. I have many friends who are overweight -- hello, I run a fitness company -- but they work damn hard at trying to cut down their body fat and improve their health and THAT'S what makes them the strong, beautiful women I respect. They love their bodies enough to want to make them healthier.