Plus Size Women Struggle With "What is the Perfect Body Image?"

I have always tried to teach my children that being thin and pretty doesn’t make you beautiful. We all come in different packaging and inside were all the same, our beauty comes from within. I define a beautiful person by their individual qualities including their personality, passion, confidence, morals, values, happy, motivated, giving, intelligent, creative, caring, forgiving, compassionate, loving, helpful, excepting, achievements and the list can goes on and on, as everyone sees beauty differently. Women should be appreciated for personal qualities and accomplishments rather than body shape or size.

Our society has developed many health issues linked to a person’s well being and self esteem including a  group of very serious eating disorders caused from the psychological effects on girls and women trying to achieve an unrealistic body image. These girls and women believe they are not thin enough, thin is beautiful, thin is attractive and thin is socialably acceptable. The fashion industry and media are still portraying this ultra thin female body image to our society today but we are starting to see a few positive changes.

Our plus size models are leading the way on the catwalk, magazines and in the fashion industry and taking an active role in the struggle of trying to change the ultra thin body image that presently exist. By modelling women’s plus size clothing and other products these women are sending out a powerful message to our society “beauty comes in all shapes and sizes” love the size your in and be proud yourself inside and out.

I truly hope to see a positive change in the coming years that include changes in the way our society see beauty and provide equal opportunities for plus sizes . Plus size women should have the same choices and enjoy a variety of shopping options in fashionable plus size clothing as the smaller “size 8” women have now. Statistics have proven that the average size of women today is “14” and there are only one in three women who fall into to the smaller than average category.

I Would love to see an average sized model as role model for our next generation of children to admire, with a body image that is healthy and achievable without lowering ones self image, self esteem or confidence. Lets encourage our children to eat healthy and be comfortable with whatever shape or size their in. Let’s try to reduce the number of people  who what to change their body so much that they starve them selves just to be socially accepted.