She's plus size?

In recent times, body positivity has been on the rise. Just look at any Dove™ commercial, and you see various body types being celebrated. Celebration of once taboo features, such as cellulite or stretch marks, are also becoming more common. Though progress has been made, society’s push for the “perfect figure” is still dominant.

This year, many were excited to see Calvin Klein announce their first plus size model. The change from the typical stick thin model made things hopeful for a change in beauty standards. Unfortunately, this change did not happen quite as we expected.

Myla Dalbesio, only measuring at a whopping size 10, was not what people expected for a plus size model. Many people criticized and mocked the company.  Some joked that the lack of visible ribs was the criteria to make her plus size. This controversy, leads to the question: can we ever change the norm?

Women are often subjected to change their bodies for the approval of others. Most of the standards women face stem from the approval of men. Even at a young age, women a taught that the man is the end goal, and her life is complete with him. For children, Disney is the biggest perpetrator. A princess’ happiness is not achieved until she marries the prince. As seen with Sexton’s Cinderella, women must fit into the male’s idea of perfection (represented by the shoe) to the point that self-mutilation is used to achieve this.

Today, in order to conform to this ideal, society shares an expectation by a sort of unspoken set of guidelines. This use of body policing, somewhat forces women into activities to gain approval. Some of this control is exerted through harmless means such as the expectations for shaving natural body hair or the use of cosmetics to achieve a perfect look. But this can quickly lead to more harmful means, such as drastic regulation of consumption in attempt to control the figure and various cosmetic surgeries such as liposuction and Botox. Just as Cinderella’s sisters, the need for perfection and approval can cause women to adjust their natural bodies.

No wonder 20 million girls developed some sort of eating disorder within their lifetime. These pressures brought on by society forces women to conform. This exploitation of female insecurities is very detrimental. This self-mutilation is only perpetuated through the media, as seen with Klein’s choice in models. Acceptance of any body type should be our cultural norm, but unfortunately, it’s not. Inclusionary norms may be accepted in the future, I believe self-love and support of others is the best step we can take now.