the rise of "real" women as models.... not sure how i feel about this. i have no set stance on skinnies, plumpies, normalies or any other version of size descriptor. i do though have issues about any size woman wearing ill-fitting clothing that shows lumps, bumps, cellulite, too much of this or that. regardless of one's size, it is possible to look revolting.

one of the most beautiful women i know in real life would be classed as very overweight - however i don't see that, i see her beautiful face over and above anything else. if she were slimmer in the face, i wonder if she'd lose some of her beauty as her features would change in their dynamics. she dresses beautifully and size-flatteringly/appropriately; and that's what i notice. the whole gorgeous, well put together, elegant package with a smile that lights up a room.

i see skinny minnies too - they get the bum end of the deal these days. since when was it okay to say "you look so skinny these days, you need to get some meat on your bones"? it has never been okay to say "you look so chubby, you need to get some of that weight off". they are the same mean remark at the end of the day -- a verbal derogatory poke at someone else. too fat/too skinny: you only know what it feels like if you're on the receiving end. 

i really do agree with the adage that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. as one might be attracted to women with blonde hair or specific features; one might be attracted to a skinny minny or a voluptuous vixen. {then again, just how many voluptuous vixens actually exist?? anyway that's for another thread.}

this article in the daily mail got me thinking. or rather it nudged me to realise it's a subject that's not worth all the kafuffle it causes. each to their own. if i don't want to see larger sized models in magazines, i won't buy it. if i don't want to see the size 0s, i won't buy those mags either. we all have the choice to walk past a magazine, turn the tv channel to something else, put down a book or leave a room. thank goodness for that.

as for children being influenced by skinny models. i don't know about that as being a leading reason for teenage anorexia and other eating disorders. boarding school will do that to you, and you don't ever need to have seen a fashion magazine. in my (very humble) opinion, eating disorders and poor self image are healthily and abundantly bred amongst peers - not by the fantastical out of reach models/actors. sure, they are examples/role models to an easily influenced youngster - their images are easy to cut out of a magazine or post on a website. i think anorexia etc would still abound without them though -- until we conquer mental health at least.

rather than teaching my children that it's better to be this size or that, i would like them to grow up believing that size doesn't matter (health issues aside). being skinny doesn't make one happier. being fatter doesn't make one more depressed. they're interchangeable.

that's enough from me.