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 Plus-size model Lizzie Miller's photograph in the September issue of Glamour Magazine grabbed international headlines, thanks to a body type not usually seen in women's publications. (Glamour/Sun Media) |
Who knew one little paunch could create such big news?
After all, the majority of us get close-ups of paunches on a daily basis, like when we're getting ready for our morning showers, say.
So, when news of plus-size model Lizzie Miller's playful photograph in the September issue of Glamour Magazine started grabbing international headlines because (gasp!), the gal is clearly sporting an adorable roll of belly blubber, I immediately thought, 'Yeah, so what?'
Then came the moment of pause.
Here in a U.S. glossy that's consistently dedicated its pages to stretched out, bony size zeros is a makeup-free Miller wearing a glowing smile and little else. She's leaning forward with her rounded-out thighs crossed, healthy arms dangling over her right leg.
Yes, a normal shape had made the cut.
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Mind you, Miller's un-airbrushed picture was tucked a ways back on page 194, but still, she's still there in all her fleshy, imperfect glory.
Certainly it's not revolutionary, but it is, the very least, inspiring. For one, it defies our current idea of beauty, one that claims having a beautiful body actually amounts to very little. In other words, extreme skinniness.
At a Croatian wedding recently, the hype surrounding Miller arose. We'd just been served multiple meals, including two pastas to start, followed by a large piece of chicken and rice, which warmed us up for the salad, veal cutlet, grilled veggies and potatoes to come.
After a large helping of ice cream, the 'real' dessert was laid out -- dozens of sweets, ranging from sugary tarts and cookies to rich chocolate and vanilla cakes.
This, of course, was all primer for a sprawling, late-night buffet, starring a huge roasted pig as the culinary centrepiece.
Naturally, the menu left many of us feeling stuffed into our slinky formal wear. In other words, we felt fat. There, I said it. The 'f' word no one ever wants to hear.
Women wearing Bridget Jones-style mommy panties or those armed with undergarments of magical, fat-sucking Spanx were caught off guard. Even the world-famous product didn't stand a chance against a wedding feast.
As we sucked in our guts and still trying to look elegant, several of us began weighing in on Miller's love handles.
"Being big will never be the most attractive thing," offers one 33-year-old woman. "Your body is healthier when it's smaller, but healthy needs to move beyond a size zero."
One woman, age 31 and a mother of two young girls, says she's generally unaffected by magazines.
"Typically I don't look at the women," she says. "I focus on the clothing, I am looking at what's on them."
Meanwhile, another 33-year-old gal says using larger models would be a refreshing change.
"I'd love to see more average women in magazines rather than aspiring to be something we're not," she said.
"I still like to flip through magazines and appreciate the beauty, but if it was a woman who was a similar shape as me, that would be awesome."
Judging from reader response to Miller's photograph, women are hungry to see more full-figured dames.
The magazine says it's planning to meet the demand, including printing more images of the curvy, 5-foot-11 Miller in its November issue.
Personally, I suspect the hoopla will last about as long as the resurgence of the '80s clothing, but I've been wrong before (like when I said skinny jeans would be gone quicker than a stop at a drive-thru restaurant, for instance).
For the sake of girls growing up in today's body-conscious world, let's hope I am, and that Miller and models like her will last far beyond the trendy, Madonna-inspired lacy things currently taking space on the clothing racks.
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DEATH OF A MODEL
- In 2006, Uruguayan model Luisel Ramos, 22, died, followed by her sister Eliana, 18, a few months later. Both suffered complications resulting from anorexia.
- Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston died from anorexia in 2006 at age 21. She weighed just 88 pounds.
- In 2007, at less than 60 pounds, Israeli model Hila Elmalich died of heart complications caused by anorexia.
- A body mass index of 18.5 is underweight; 18.5-24.9 is acceptable; 25-29.9 is overweight, and 30 or higher is considered obese, according to the World Health Organization.
REAL WOMEN MAKE WAVES
- In 2002, Jamie Lee Curtis cracked the perfect-body myth when, at 43, she posed without makeup for an untouched picture in More magazine.
- In 2004, Dove created the Campaign for Real Beauty, using real women in advertisements.
- In 2007, People Magazine photographed celebs such as Drew Barrymore, Eva Longoria, Jessica Simpson and Jessica Biel wearing no makeup.