Melissa McCarthy covers the new issue of More Magazine to promote her new film, Spy. Can I just say? I’m really looking forward to Spy. It looks very, very funny and I’m intrigued by the ensemble surrounding Melissa’s CIA analyst character: Allison Janney, Jason Statham, Jude Law, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart and Bobby Cannavale all star alongside Melissa. HBO has been running a “first look” and it’s funny as hell. So… I’m hoping Melissa has another big hit with this one. Her More Mag cover profile is interesting enough as well – some highlights:
Plus-sized clothing: ‘People don’t stop at size 12. I feel like there’s a big thing missing where you can’t dress to your mood above a certain number. [Malls] segregate plus-size. It’s an odd thing that you can’t go shopping with your friends because your store is upstairs hidden by the tire section. We’ll put you gals over there because we don’t want to see you and you probably don’t want to be seen.’
Her new clothing label, Seven7, will be for women sizes 4 to 28: ‘It’s pretty consuming…my problem is, I don’t hand things off very well. I just figure if it has my name on it and I want to make people feel good about wearing it, I can’t pass it off.’
Body-shaming: ‘There is just this weird thing about how we perceive women in this country. I would love to be a part of breaking that down. I have caught my reflection and thought, ‘Oof. That girl is struggling. That girl is tired.’ I’ve had mornings where I’m like, ”Oh God, I have weird hair. I look like Fraggle Rock. Why am I so puffy? What did I eat?” [But] who cares if my eyes are puffy because I ate 44 almonds last night? Or my legs are short? To my core, I don’t care.’
Feminism: ‘When I told my daughters there had never been a female president, they were like, ”What! How is that possible?” I have an overactive sense of justice. I want women to realise you don’t have to work for the company. You can run the company. I want the scope for them to be endless.’
[From More Magazine via The Daily Mail]
I think it’s interesting that she’s still committed to launching her clothing line. I wonder where it will be sold? That’s one of the problems I have with this whole idea that “mall stores hide the plus-sized clothing” thing – I’m sure there are a lot of women out there still shopping at the mall, but aren’t most women buying a combination of stuff online and in stores?
Here are some pics from yesterday’s Spy photocall in Berlin. I swear, I never would have put Jason Statham with Melissa, but it seems like they genuinely had a ball together. He must have loved the chance to do a comedic role, that’s the only way I can really explain this.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
She looks AWESOME!!!!!
She looks effing fantastic in those pictures.
I just love this girl and she looks great in photos photos. Her honesty is very refreshing . Talking about first female president, om that would be the day in US. It is very strange that we never had our India Ghandi, Margaret Thatcher or Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
I’m all for this plus sized clothing line without segregation -thing and I don’t want to be mean but Melissa has no sense of style in any way… with her stamp on it, I wouldn’t want to see that collection
It will probably be expensive too.
Yeah, no real sense of style from Melissa. But I LOVE her and how unapologetic she is about everything. Good for her! And my son couldn’t believe that Barack was the first Black president. Since she has a platform, she needs to climb atop that sucker that promote all kinds of change.
i have to agree. IMO Melissa has zero style. As much as i like her, but sorry NO.
My best friend Steffi has Melissa´s size and i know how hard it can be to find pretty cloths (not just some XXL sacks with big patterns), but it´s not impossible. There are wonderful collections and designers. Every size can look awesome if you know how to dress your body. Melissa has no idea what suits her or how to use accessoires. Her red carpet style is tragic 🙁
I don’t disagree Edith I always see her in Things that are unflattering/busy/less than/colors that don’t suit her etc so I wish for the best cause I Love her but also …IDK if i’d entrust my dressing to her hands and taste Level ( is sorta a Katie Holmes Thing)
Was going to say the same thing. She hardly ever dresses well. That outfit in this post is not flattering. It’s the wrong color for her, that much volume in the shirt only makes her look larger as does the large scale print, and with her short legs, she shouldn’t wear cropped leather pants and focus pulling shoes.
Have to agree – I adore her, and applaud her for following her fashion dreams and starting a line that will be inclusive of most women, but I can’t imagine myself buying anything from it if it is similar to the styles she wears.
Malls carry clothing that fits the majority of their clientele right? Sure, people don’t stop at size 12 (and there’s nothing wrong with being 14+ , and you should be able to dress well no matter what size you are!)- but the average woman is 10-12ish right? Don’t the majority of people fit under those sizes? I’m not saying that to fat-shame or concern troll- I sincerely have no problem with people being whatever size they want and having complete body autonomy. But why would a business carry a bunch of clothes that won’t sell as well? Seems like a business decision.
People can shop online or shop at specialty stores if they need to- or specialty brands like the one MM is launching. I am all for people wearing lovely clothing that fits properly and makes them feel confident, but if your are of an uncommon size you’ll just have to work harder (to shop). I say that as someone who has to spend a small fortune at specialty stores for my uncommon bra size. It sucks but that’s life. Some stuff is harder to find.
I get that, but then how do you explain the crazy amount of supply of smaller sizes. I couldn’t even tell you how many times I’ve tried to look for my size, and it not being there, but hello a hundred size 0 pants. I still think the majority of designers have no sense of reality of the their clients.
I’ve noticed the smaller sizes go on sale a lot with big price decreases because no one seems to have bought them.
No the average size is closer to 14
Yep, an average American woman does not wear size 10 or 12 for sure.
My weight fluctuates regularly. Sometimes the 14 fits. Sometimes I need a 16 or 18. But if I do, I have to leave the store.
Yes I can shop online, but it would be nice If I didn’t have to. Sometimes you want to see that the material is nice quality and the arm holes don’t expose your bra because if you need an 18 you clearly don’t have boobs and need three people to lift your arms.
Sunny, we are in the same boat. I was at Forever 21 yesterday and it’s crazy how unflattering 90% of their clothing is in the plus size section l. A lot of boxy shirts that do not do we bigger girls any favors.
Greetings from a department store slave. The segregation she’s talking about is done for a lot of reasons, and none of them have anything to do with fat shaming. It’s about marketing and convenience. The biggest reason to segregate sizes like that is so the customer can find what they’re looking for quick and easy which is the easiest way to get a sale. Petites are also in another section and so are juniors but I guess shorties or teenagers can suck it up. It’s also divided up according to target age range. Can you imagine trying to shop a floor that had racks and racks of all the sizes, from petites to misses to women’s in one area? It would be difficult and a wreck in less than an hour. As a customer, you’d only be seeing a lot of the same thing repeatedly and possibly move on because it’s perceived as not having a great selection. Having clothing that spans all the age ranges in one area would also be confusing and counterproductive. Clothing sales are made by selling like items to a customer. These are not ware houses; people are looking for niceties not quantities. People with little kids would go crazy trying to find sizes if all of the “kids” merchandise was lined up together from infants to preteen. Merch is broken up according to a lot of demographics NOT JUST SIZE; age, business, dresses, casual, seasonal, local market etc etc. And I have never ever seen a women’s section hidden behind the tires. They are always in the clothing area with the rest of the clothing. Bottom line: don’t blame the stores for having a women’s section. All of the merchandise is in a section!!!
Edit: This was supposed to be in reply to perplexed below. Stupid phone. Sorry.
This is the point I was trying to make, thank you. Most people fit in a particular stores range for a certain demographic = they’re going to carry those things. Stores are businesses, they’re trying to make money. If they were making more money by shifting the range from 0-12 to say, 6-20…they would have already done that. The size segregation is a business decision, not a fat shaming conspiracy.
In the US? Because though I live in the US, I’ve had the experience of shopping for plus sizes both here and in the UK, and they were decidedly different experiences. In the UK, many times I found that if the item came in both a size 2 and a size 22, it was on the same rack! The difference was that the pattern and cut were adjusted properly for a larger body, not just made bigger and ill-fitting. Thus if I liked a garment, I could usually find it in my size. Even though the pound was killing the dollar at the time, I gladly paid more for the quality clothing I loved.
Thanks Invader Tek. Every store I’ve ever shopped in has been that way. And if a department store sells tires, its always in a separate building somewhere in the Mall parking lot perimeter. btw, I think clothing mfgs have made clothes bigger with the changing demos. When I was a kid in the late 60s, 70s, there were tons of kid clothes in “slim” sizes, and hardly any in “husky” (thats what they called them). My family is tall, long limbed and skinny and my mom never had any trouble finding us clothes. Two to three decades later, the sizes are reversed and I have to special order my skinny kids clothes, cuz they no longer carry “slim”, and there are tons of “huskies” and a few regular sizes. I was always buying my boys clothes in the JCPenny catalog. Nowadays, there are lots of skinny clothes they can buy at the Levi Store or Nordstrom or Macy’s, but when they were little I was always having to let down hems. Anyway, I wish Melissa well with her new company.
You are correct! I am glad that they break them all into departments. I have short arms although I am 5’7″,I buy Petite tops but regular pants and skirts. The Petite tops make it less glaringly obvious that I have short arms for my height and are on sale quite often. Unfortunately my husband and kid’s jokes about my T-Rex arms, do not.
I also am always careening between a size 4 and a 16. 🙁 I don’t think Melissa has much style and wouldn’t buy her clothing. Did they mention where it would be sold or the price point? My T-Rex arms also affect my reading comprehension, along with being unable to reach things on the top shelf.
The average is a 14.
That’s including the outliers on either end. The average woman as far as I’ve seen by looking around/living in various places is more like a 6-12. I know/have seen plenty of people much bigger and much smaller, but *most* people fit into sizes traditionally carried in most stores, mall or otherwise. Sure, malls could carry much larger sizes, but they are literally there to make money off of customers. If most customers buy certain sizes, those sizes will be sold.
That’s not accurate, actually. There is a market for plus size clothing in a variety of styles and price points, but they aren’t being sold in brick-and-mortar stores. The clothes that are sold are muumuu looking terrible monstrosities, or things that are bedazzled, or have a massive animal print. Not cute, and not fashionable. If there were more offerings for plus size women, they would “literally make more money off of customers”.
Also, your analysis completed by looking around – that’s known as confirmation bias. The actual average is a 14-16. You know, using actual data.
@insertnamehere
Just for the record, I’m not attaching any emotional value to the average size, just trying to understand why if almost everyone is 14+, stores manage to stock their brick and mortars with clothing that sells (and we know it sells because of it didn’t, there would be change).
Something I’ve been wondering for a long time, and what led to my comment about seeing mostly medium (6-12ish) people walking around: I know 14 is the average dress size for women, but does that mean most women are 14 or that when you average all of the sizes? Like if we had 10 size 8’s and 10 size 20’s, the average is size 14 but none of those women wear that size. Does that make sense? Do you know of any studies that graph the prevalence of sizes clustered in which groups?
I hope I’m not looking troll-y or anything, this is something I’ve been curious about for a long time.
While the average might be 14, that doesn’t mean most women are a size 14. I don’t know of any data specifically on sizes as that’s prone to variability, but the standard z-score curve used in nutrition epidemiology by the WHO uses weight, height & age. Here’s a decent article from 2009 about it which pulls from data on those 3 metrics: http://vpostrel.com/articles/the-real-reason-that-ann-taylor-hates-plus-sizes. “The most common weight—130 pounds for women under 25 and 140 pounds for those 26 to 35—is well below the average”.
You make a good point. Petite people also have that problem too – searching for their section.
But I really didn’t notice how difficult it is to shop for clothing when you are bigger than size 12. I’m a tall girl who used to wear size 10 -12 as early as last year. Now I wear size 16. I can’t shop in department stores anymore because they simply don’t carry my size. I have to shop online to find anything.
run CMC — In the U.S., 2/3 of women are size 14 or larger.*
Statistically speaking, “average” size is irrelevant for assessing retail potential and for accounting for why mall retailers focus on 2-14 size women. A women’s U.S. apparel retailer ought to be studying the distribution of womens’ sizes (bell curve) and adjusting their stock accordingly if they are serious about maximizing profits.
Here’s a short article about why plus size women are ignored by most clothing retailers. *http://www.businessinsider.com/why-isnt-plus-size-bigger-2012-12
I really don’t know why she is whining. I’m a size 0 and have never been able to find clothes that fit in a shopping mall that wasn’t intended for little girls.
I’ve instead shopped online for years. It’s probably cheaper, better selection, better chance I’ll find my size. I’m not complaining about it to a newspaper.
People don’t stop at 12 but according to Melissa McCarthy, apparently they start at 4?
LOVING her hair in the red carpet pics.
She looks fantastic!
that’s awesome, she’s got her own clothing line! I watched bridesmaids and she was hilarious in it. she is fricking funny! her hair color looks great on her
The things I would do to Jason Statham…
“I would let him pound me like a drum”-my grandma. 😳
Your grandma is a hoot, Hmmm! And I so agree, my love for Statham known no bounds!!!
@Hmmm I may steal Grandma’s line. I’ll be sure to quote her, though. What a genius.
Hahaha your Grandma is the best ☺️
Look at those pics – he looks so happy!
I think she is wonderful!:D
I think some stores have a separate store under the same name for plus size women (the plus is in the title) so I don’t think she’s wrong or inaccurate. The stores might be doing it to make it easier for people to find their sizes in one section, but it does seem you’d have to walk to another section if you’re in a different size category. Not sure what the motivation of the store is, but it seems like it would be easier just to put everything on the same rack if the same clothes of different sizes are being sold.
Ha! Funny, I was just mentioning her on the Katrash post today.
I never realized how very pretty she is until I started watching Gilmore Girls.
I hope her clothing line does great 🙂
Melissa really is beautiful…especially here. She looks really glowy, despite her unfortunate outfit.
Even if she does slim down even more…(she looks great) she will always remember that feeling of being the plus sized woman at the mall. I am somewhat overweight and feel that other people have more of an issue with her weight than she does. In that, , she is saying she dislikes being overweight and is now actually having success at weight loss…but it is a personal issue. I believe body shaming occurs when people take “my” weight personally which never helps when you feel overweight or ugly or whatever all on your own. Why my weight is someone elses’ personal issue/opportunity to judge me is hard to fathom. I once spent a week with a group of strangers on a boat. Everyone had a weird issue..one was addicted to cigarettes, the other chewed gum incessantly and couldn’t stop, the other could not keep food down..and I was the one who had a tendency to be an emotional eater and was struggling with weight. But, on the outside I was the only one who felt ashamed. The others were thin..despite their weird and neurotic habits. Anyway, she is great to be speaking out and talking about these issues honestly.
I know exactly what you mean. I lost a lot of weight thanks to gastric banding. All the POSITIVE comments just show how much people judge someone for being overweight. I don’t want to discuss my weight with more or less strangers, even if the context is positive.
I would love for the mall here to have a Petite store.
Segregate away, I say. No more searching for the stupid little P.
more selection, easier to find. Put me behind the tires, I don’t care, just make it easier for me to shop.
Associates who understand it’s not always easy to be petite, either. and so I don’t have to spend a fortune having things hemmed.
I totally agree. I’m a tiny person, and I’m all for any store that makes it easier to get my hands on a selection of clothes that will fit me. When I see a plus-size department, I’m definitely not thinking I’m superior because my pants are a smaller size. I’m thinking, “Great! A place I don’t have to waste time looking!” I think the thought process is the same for people designing the stores, as well. Jumble everything up, and shoppers will get frustrated and leave empty handed; clearly mark items and the merchandise is more likely to be sold.
What is brutal in Canada is The Bay. They have a separate floor dedicated to plus size women (16 and up) AND that same floor is shared with the petite section!
I’ve asked before if women get upset. And they apparently do. But The Bay sees petites and plus as being specialized therefore they belong on the same floor. Awful!
That’s stupid. They’d sell everything better if they broke that up. A lot of people don’t know that either of those things are specialty sizes anyway.
As I look around my city in Canada, I don’t see 12+ and petites as *specialties* at all. Quite the norm, everywhere.
Stores can reflect that if they want. Look at Reitmans. They now carry up to size 17 of XXL in their regular lines. Nor problem for them to be organized that way.
I don’t see what is brutal.
We are what we are. Sometimes by choice, sometimes not. I can’t help being short. I love to be able to see my size without having to search and search.
If plus size women have such an issue with their size, barring medical reasons for their size then…..?
you’d really rather one gigantic area to sift through? no thanks.
I love it to be divided by brand, size, colour, material.
@originalkay Speaking as a short woman who’s a size 4/6 I understand what you are saying BUT with that being said you have to keep In mind that our size isn’t looked at as such a negative. Being Plus size is. Being plus size has a lot of stigma to it and society looks down on anyone who is larger. So I do understand where they are coming from. It may be easy for us to say “oh such a silly thing to complain about , I wish I was easier for me to find something my size” , or whatever it is, but when you are taught to be ashamed of who you are just based on the fact you are bigger it’s a big deal. I have been in the stores where the plus sized clothes are pushed all the way to the back , where the only section actually labeled was plus size. I have witnessed my larger friends get upset over selection and placement. Whether we as a culture want to acknowledge or admit it we do shun plus size women so I understand why it’s a sensitive subject and I think people who are smaller really just don’t get it.
Some people just don’t want their clothes to touch “fat” clothes. ……oh well, LOL.
I have worked as a buyer and a store manager in the plus fashion industry and I feel like plus women have different needs (a great fitting bra, for example) that can’t be catered to by just extending a size 2 to a size 22. But I do think all the trends should be more available in plus.
The 5th floor at The Bay (downtown Toronto) is fine. Every try finding the plus sized section at Macy’s in NYC? You go to the top floor of their 8 story complex and then through a tunnel to another building entirely. Talk about insulting.
As well speaking of downtown Toronto, the largest mall, The Eaton Centre has only one store that holds clothes for those larger than a 12 (Forever 21).
And as a Canadian, shopping online is truly expensive. Most online only retailers are American which means shipping to Canada also includes duties on top of the price and taxes (assuming they even ship to Canada) so if the clothes don’t fit you’re either stuck or out of that money shipping it back.
@Deezee:
Did they get rid of AdditionElle and Laura Plus? I know Additionelle used to be on the top floor by Sears/Chapters.
It has been ages since I have been there. I find it easier to just shop online.
@deezee
That’s not true women’s Plans size, petites and kids are in the 7th floor and Juniors is on the 8th floor.
@ Squiggle
Yes they still have Additional Elle and Laura..
Addition Elle left the mall years and years ago. There is a very small store across the street. Laura Plus has never been in the Eaton Centre. And Reitmans recently renovated and removed their plus section. @squiggles
Not being snarky. I genuinely don’t understand why having petite sizes and plus sizes separate are awful and brutal? Or is it that the two sections are on the same floor is brutal? To whom?
Shopping for petite fashion is awful. I cry everytime I shop which is why I hate fashion. The selections are just as unfashionable as the plus sizes (and you have to hunt down where they hid them) unless you have hundreds to spend per item, the clothes often look like they came from the 50’s, esp. for older women. The Bay sounds like it considers plus and petites to be the local freak show.
Where do you all shop out of curiosity? I’m only 5’1″ and have absolutely no issue finding cute trendy clothes my size that fight properly. And I shop right in the juniors section of major dept stores like Nordstrom or places in the mall like American eagle, express……I do stay away from the petite sections because they are aimed at an older crowd but just because someone is short and thin doesn’t mean they have to shop in that section.
Petite shopping is indeed a pain in the tush. I’m a big fan of taking regular sizes and having them cut down and tailored to fit me. It’s really not as expensive as one might think, either. I do run into problems with pants on occasion, but for the most part this works great for me.
I also want to know were you shop and live because I’m 4″ 11 and I have no problem finding cute fashionable clothes.
I don’t get it, what’s brutal about it?
She looks great.
It’s amazing how much she looks like Jenny McCarthy, like they’re sisters instead of cousins.
From an outsider’s perspective, I’m very very confused to see Americans, celebrities and commoners alike, complaining about body images and acceptance and what not. Because to me, The US has always been the country that has the unhealthiest levels of acceptance and tolerance towards obesity. You can’t even tell an American to lose weight for the sake of their own health because they’ll likely give you a scornful look, accuse you of being insensitive and lecture you on health and societal pressures etc etc To the contrary, I’d suggest Americans to stop getting offended over words like ‘fat’ and ‘plus size’ and rather take an initiative towards losing weight and not pigging themselves up. You don’t have to starve yourselves to be healthy. All it takes is a smaller meal and ample exercise. While being unnaturaly skinny is undesirable, there’s nothing healthy or attractive about being obese either. It’s an infamous saying out here that both the dreams and beef of Americans are super sized. For a good reason.
I’ll probably be the only one, but I agree with you.
Canada too, add them in the mix.
It’s not curves, it’s not healthy. And in a world where people are starving, dying from starvation, it’s pretty damn unfair to supersize.
You mean it takes exercise and a good diet to lose weight??
Well, you don’t say!! All of us dumbass fat Americans really appreciate your unsolicited “outsider perspective”.
Now excuse me while I “pig myself up” on some super-sized beef.
Feel free to disagree all you want. Americans are unhealthy, which is a fact. Period.
I agree with you. It;s incredibly rude to assume that if you are over a size 14 you are unhealthy and about to die.
I’ve read your comments on your eating disorder in earlier posts. So I can understand why this rubbed you the wrong way. However, I stand by what I said. I do think people of that country need to have a healthier relationship with food.
“Americans are unhealthy, which is a fact.”
Hmm, yeah with Canada, the UK Australia, Russia, and Argentina close behind us.
One in every four adults in the UK is considered obese. Why don’t they get concern-trolled like the US?
While I appreciate the kindness, my battles with an ED has nothing to do with my feelings about unfair stereotypes.
Isn’t it so nice for someone to enlighten us ignorant Americans? Apparently, we’re all unhealthy and obese. I guess I should skip my afternoon run and just sit on my fat ass and eat.
I’m pretty healthy Lala but that you so much for your concern. And no, I’m not overweight.
People can lose weight. A bitchy attitude is harder to get rid of.
Mexico has surpassed the US as the fattest country.
One : I’m not an European.
Two : I never said Americans were the only ones with Obesity issues.
Third: I couldn’t care less about history because it’s the present that matters to me.
Obesity doesn’t have a race, religion or color. It’s a problem that every other first world country faces including Yes…Canada, Russia and Argentina.
What I emphasized here is how there is an emergence of a trend in pop culture of the US to somehow legitimise obesity as a normal, accepted standard, which it isn’t. It’s the complete opposite of say..Korean or Japanese pop culture , where girls are expected to have abnormally BMI’s of as low as 18, which again is very unhealthy.
Feel free to be offended all you want. I’ll still stick to my opinions. There’s no dearth of obese people in my country either. The difference however is that, they do recognize that their weight is causing them health issues.
@Lala-do you REALLY think that Americans don’t know that our country has an obesity issue?
I’m incredibly healthy. Not to be rude, but I could probably bench press your ass and I bet I could school you in a 10K. But I’m not responsible for the diets of 316 million other people in my country. Nor do I care to lecture them about their bodies or their diets. Obese people KNOW that they’re overweight and believe me, they are not applauded or held up as the body type that people aspire to. I don’t know where you get this idea that overweight Americans are treated as the normal, accepted standard. There are plenty of overweight people who would tell you about how they’re treated in American society.
Really, how many overweight actresses do you see in American films and TV?
I take care of my own body and I’m a health fanatic, but I don’t see it as my place to shame or lecture others for how they chose to treat theirs. It’s their life and their business.
@lala wow, did you really just throw someone else’s eating disorder in their face to try and shame them to prove your point. Get a grip lady.
When you started generalizing I realized you had nothing to offer but nonsense.
There’s a trend in the US that legitimizes and normalizes obesity? No. I must have missed that.
Also, shaming and lecturing people, or talking down to them in a superio, condescending tone does NOT help people lose weight.
You don’t cure the obesity epidemic by making overweight people feel worthless and stupid.
It’s to have an opinion, but it’s clear that you have a very misinformed view of the very subject you speak about.
@kitten exactly, she’s clearly a troll and is looking for a response.
@Kitten
American here, and I think there absolutely has been a push to normalize obesity. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard women quote something in the vein of, “Real women have curves!” as an excuse for being overweight. It absolutely happens.
I see you saying that heavy people *know* they are heavy and aren’t in need of reminding. If that were true, would the obesity rate continue to climb? Would childhood obesity be the problem it is? Personally, I feel we need to tackle obesity the way we have smoking (Granted, I wasn’t alive when those programs started, but they have been called successful).
Not to nitpick, but your assertion that most overweight people know they are is actually false: https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/food-thought/do-people-know-when-theyre-overweight
Most overweight people actually don’t identify themselves accurately as overweight or obese. That’s a problem. In that single study, only about 15% of them were able to accurately describe their own weight situation. I’ve been an overweight person and it’s very honest. I never believed I was overweight until one day I just did.
I got exactly the response I expected. A dear friend of mine from NY city had told me that folks in her country were very touchy about weight issues and ‘weight’ is a subject one mustn’t bring up there no matter what. I guess she was right. I’m not a troll.
I’m not trying to shame anyone. And no , I definitely did not try to shame kitten for her disorder. Please do not try to put words into my mouth. Who am I to judge or lecture, right?
My opinions are only based on a couple of interactions I’ve had with US based doctors and patients that frequently visit our hospital here for research works. If you folks think my opinions are biased, you have the right to. I will not debate that because I live in a democracy too. I might have come across as ‘bitchy’ like one lady said because English isn’t my first or second or even the third language. It certainly didn’t come across as bitchy , assertive yes. But if you gotta survive this profession, you have to be assertive. Good day. Gotta go to work.
“Americans are unhealthy”
You are inaccurately lumping 300+ MILLION people into one group and it makes you factually wrong. If you modified your statements and wrote “A large number of Americans are unhealthy”, you’d be closer to the truth, but you’d still be taking a very narrow look at global health issues. Processed foods and the health consequences that result from eating them are a global problem.
@Goats: trust me. We overweight people know we’re overweight. And given that researchers don’t know what specifically has caused the jump in obesity (yes, calorie consumption had increased, but the math doesn’t add up to the amount of obesity, if you’ll excuse the pun), I don’t think a national campaign would do anything. The “recidivism” rate for regaining weight is something like 95%.
Wow, I’m amazed at how many people here tried to distill an incredibly complex issue down to “overweight people don’t know they’re overweight” and “diet and exercise is the cure!”
What about people who are overweight due to thyroid problems or due to side effects from medications, and the larger issue of subsidized crops and the economic factor?
@Goats- The “real women have curves” wasn’t the best in the sense that I always felt the tagline alone sort of isolated those of us who are built thin with narrow hips (me) but I think you’re forgetting the imagery that accompanied that ad campaign. The pics were those of healthy women with a variety of body types from skinny and athletic to larger and curvy. In a society that puts so much pressure on women to fit into a cookie-cutter ideal of what’s attractive (mainly “t*ts on a stick”) that ad campaign encouraged women to embrace their natural body type and sorry, but that should be celebrated. It was never about saying “obese is great!” and I’m not sure how you would interpret it as such.
Are these women obese?
https://notsoquietgirl.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/real-women-have-curves.jpg?w=640&h=479
EDIT: Thanks Tiff, Tifygoddess etc
@Kitten
As I’ve said, there are people with legitimate conditions that can make weight loss difficult or prevent it entirely. That is the exception and not the rule. Many people are simply not doing what it takes to lose weight, and that stems from a complete lack of knowledge of what’s healthy and what isn’t. To simply chalk the growing obesity rates among adults and children up to medical conditions is ridiculous.
“To simply chalk the growing obesity rates among adults and children up to medical conditions is ridiculous.”
Yes that would be ridiculous…which is why I never said that. In fact, I very clearly stated that medication is one of many reasons for a rise in obesity and then went on to list four other potential factors. I should have added genetics and psychological factors to my list.
“Many people are simply not doing what it takes to lose weight, and that stems from a complete lack of knowledge of what’s healthy and what isn’t.”
You really think that it’s “lack of knowledge”?
..in the age of the internet where you can easily access the calorie content of every food item? …where you can find diet plans and exercise routines of every variety?
It’s not the fact that the US government has given $19 billion to subsidized crops like corn or soy (products that are used as thickeners, artificial sweeteners and junk food additives) and only $689 mill to subsidize apples?
I’m not saying it’s the only factor, but it’s certainly a contributing one.
Regardless of the fact that we disagree on this issue, surely you can admit that insinuating that overweight people aren’t doing enough to help themselves doesn’t really accomplish anything–it’s not helpful to the discussion and offers no real solution. Sure, we shouldn’t be promoting or encouraging obesity, but I don’t think we should be shaming or disparaging obese people either.
Lala is being slammed but is telling the truth. I am actually overweight now at age 55. But many years ago, I spent one year in China in 1986. My boyfriend said I had gained weight so at first he was being kind of an ass about it. But as time went on we couldn’t very much to eat as we traveled. I ate apples, rice, and pork (or it was more like pork fat) and cheap beer. I lost 20 pounds. On my way home after being away for a year…our plane stopped in Honolulu. I had five hours at Waikiki Beach. All the tourists on the beach looked huge to me that day. Many years later I am somewhat overweight eating an American diet. I think it is our food and diet and lifestyle and the ay we live, eat, shop , and handle our stress.
I’m inclined to believe it’s true that people do not know they are overweight. I’m a perfect weight for my height and build according to the bmi yet I’m frequently referred to as “skinny” sometimes even “too skinny” – usually by overweight people. This makes me think they see normal as underweight and overweight as normal.
I would never want to make someone feel less than simply because they are a bigger size, but I do think we’ve put so much emphasis on not offending people that we are losing the point altogether. Overweight and obesity are NOT healthy, and for most people, they can be resolved through a reasonable diet and exercise. At one time, it was thought that people could be “metabolically” fit–aka obese with cholesterol and insulin levels WNL–but research is really leading us away from that idea. It’s really in the best interests of us all to put better initiatives in place to stem the tide of obesity, and I would say that’s more important than how a person feels about being labelled.
ARGH! No, it can’t be resolved so easily. And those of us who try and try and try don’t appreciate the implication that not only are we losers for being fat, but we’re losers for being unable to lose, too.
A small minority of overweight and obese people have actual conditions that make weight loss difficult, if not impossible. However, a great many of those who “try and try and try” aren’t really trying that hard at all (either by lackadaisical dieting or simple ignorance of what’s unhealthy). Around 70% of people underestimate their caloric intake and portion sizes by an astonishing amount, as much as 30-45% per day, per some studies. This means a person on a 2000-calorie diet would consume an extra 600-900 calories PER DAY. The fact is, we NEED more education about what’s healthy, what foods to avoid, how to increase physical activity. So many people would benefit from visits to a dietician nutritionist.
My mother is 5’10 wore a size small and could put her hands around her waist. To the outside world, she was what everyone should strive to be visually and definition of healthy.
So, how does one explain those, like my mom, who without warning had a massive heart attack and triple bypass before she was 50? After her heart attack, she became hypothyroid and now wears a size 16.
I think stereotyping is just wrong for many reasons. And if we start to judge on clothing size, what about shoes? Why are small and large and narrow and wide shoes all in the same department when most, higher market share, all wear the same size range 7-9 U.S.?
It’s not about accepting or celebrating obesity, but to stop ridiculing, insulting, and dismissing people who are struggling with it, and treat people with decency and respect regardless of their size.
People talk about body image because the entertainment industry, the fashion industry, the media, etc, hold people (primarily females) to impossible standards, and it causes a lot of pain and unhealthiness for many people. The more we talk about it and head towards “healthy” instead of “perfect”, the better.
Like Kitten said, most people who are overweight know it, and don’t need anyone else to tell them. Most of them also know that it’s not good for them, and want to get healthier. But usually obesity is a symptom of other issues (depression, addiction, food quality/availability, etc) so for many it really is a struggle, especially when food is something you need to have and can’t quit cold turkey.
Exactly! You said it perfectly, Lucy.
I think a lot of people’s attitude towards those that are overweight is caused by people’s need to feel superior. Notice that no REAL solutions are offered (aside from the obvious), just a lot of smug preachiness.
@Kitten
Ask any physician worth his or her salt, and the best solution for most is diet and exercise! It’s not smug preachiness, it’s a proven method that many people are bypassing in favor of the drive-up window and kicking back on the couch.
Goats – My hunch is you’ve never struggled with your weight. Any physician worth their salt knows that your prescription relies on 100% willpower which is overly simplistic.
Undoubtedly, many of the same psychological factors that drive over-eating also drive drug or alcohol abuse. Your prescription of diet and exercise is akin to telling a heroin addict they should be able to recover with will power alone.
So no, diet and exercise is not the optimal solution because there are other critical factors involved in losing and maintaining weight. I predict that our obesity epidemic will not improve without major improvements in addressing the psychological component of the disease. Plus no one yet knows the relative importance of genetic predisposition, ghrehlin, leptin, brown fat and gut bacteria as they are part of emerging research on obesity.
I just meant to say that smugness and a need to feel *better than* is sometimes what motivates people to be so invested in the health of strangers.
Not always, but sometimes.
@Goats-Late to this game, but did you ever consider the mental component to obesity? You seem to think weight/health boils down to willpower or lack thereof, when (just like EDs) a lot of obese people suffer from mental issues that complicate their ability to lose weight. That could include depression, low self-esteem, PTSD from trauma, etc. It isn’t a simple issue and to boil it down to diet&excerise, as if overweight people aren’t usually aware that that is the key to losing weight, comes off as smug.
@Winter
Not sure you’ll see this given the late reply, but here goes.
The reason I don’t think depressions, PTSD, etc., are valid reasons for the obesity rate is pretty simple. These mental disorders existed 50, 100, 150 years ago, and obesity was not the problem it is today. Look to countries where fast foods are not frequently consumed, for example. Surely their citizens suffer from depression and poor self-esteem, no? It also doesn’t explain why childhood obesity is rampant. The advent of heavily processed convenience foods, drive up windows, swelling portion sizes, and technology that allows a bulk of the population to be sedentary is more likely the culprit. The human body isn’t made to ingest fast food and be idle all day. That sort of thing is okay for on *occasional* indulgence, but many are relying on these foods for much of their diet. Many people (children included, appallingly enough) are not getting any sort of daily exercise! Shadow an RDN for a bit, see what people are actually eating and how they are spending their time, and you just might agree with me.
Please note, I’m not saying mental illnesses don’t exist or that they should be taken lightly. Using them to excuse a population that is on track to be 40-50% overweight and obese in the next ten years just doesn’t wash with me.
puleez, we have more fat people, but it’s not like non-Americans are healthy either. my ex was from england, and his dad had emphasyma from smoking so much. and drinking a lot is common too. you don’t see me talking smack about them because of that. that’s cause this American is not a snob. Because, quite frankly, that’s what you’re being when you act that way. People says Americans are rude, classless. what about people like you who look down on others because of their physical appearance?
“You can’t even tell an American to lose weight for the sake of their own health because they’ll likely give you a scornful look”
I doubt anyone in any other country would appreciate being told to lose weight either. Frankly I think you got lucky just getting a scornful look if that’s how you go about things.
” That’s one of the problems I have with this whole idea that “mall stores hide the plus-sized clothing” thing – I’m sure there are a lot of women out there still shopping at the mall, but aren’t most women buying a combination of stuff online and in stores?”
That’s your takeaway? That people also shop online so why does it matter if you feel pushed aside. How strange.
She’s awesome, I just love her. I want Bridesmaids part 2 what do I have to do to get that rolling?
I don’t care for Melissa’s style, I think it’s a little OTT but I may try her clothing line. I’m always on the lookout for good fitted jeans and pants wherever my American size may be at any given time in my life.
A lot of “mall” stores only sell their main clothing styles up to around US size 14, and those go fast. It would be nice to have a little more variety available for everyone.
Ordering online is great sometimes, but it’s not the same as shopping in person. I ordered pants the other day, same company and size of other pants I love, and they arrived and totally didn’t fit. A shirt that looked good online turned out to be of very thin material and practically see through. There’s so much variation is size, cut, styling, material, etc, and when you shop in person you can try stuff on to see what’s best, but online you have to take your chances and then often pay for shipping back and forth.
Precisely! Not to mention that fact that even within a brand fits vary widely. I’m so tired of measuring myself, choosing the appropriate size option, and either swimming in it or being unable to zip it up. For the same size in the same brand!
I WISH they’d have a Tall section in stores! Even when brands make tall things (J. Crew, Banana Republic, etc.) they are only available online.
I think that people really could make more effort to make attractive plus sized clothing. Who wants to wear a floral box? Time for a change.
You know, I feel for the tall women even as I envy them. It seems like there are all of three tall store options for women.
Come to think of it, men’s stores and sizing always seem to accomodate a wider range of lengths and sizes in all styles. It’s very frustrating.
I feel your pain. I have a couple of tall family and friends, one in particular who needs pants with a 36″ inseam and she has to order them online.
I’m 5’4″ with short legs and a long torso. It’s a challenge to find pants that fit lengthwise. I end up at Macy’s, Bergner’s, Bob Ton, TJ Maxx or order online a lot. I like 6pm.com, Zappos, Amazon. I’ve tried Levi’s curvy fit, Style and Co., and Lucky Brand’s Sofia, Easy Rider, and Ginger fits and they are great.
For plus sizes, I think Lane Bryant has great clothes, they have come a long ways in the last decade or so. And they have a variety of lengths and styles on pants and jeans. Others I’ve come across are Avenue and one more whose name escapes me.
OMG, I feel you. I’m tall, but not so tall I need tall-sized pants. But I DO need tall shirts. Any standard long sleeved shirt looks like a 3/4 sleeve on me. 🙁 I lost some weight last year and had to get all new clothes. When I replaced all the long sleeved stuff, I just bought tall everything and was so much happier, but I had to go online to find everything, and that sucks because you never really know what you’re going to get. The only benefit to the ugly or badly designed plus size clothes I was limited to before was they often had longer arms, but even then, my cuffs were always too short.
I’m interested in this; I’m going to have to pay more attention on the rare occasions that I go clothes shopping. I’m short with a flat butt, and in the past few years I’ve gone from a size 6 to a size 12 and then down to a 4 (health/work issues). Luckily, I’ve never gone above a size 12 (I say ‘luckily’ for finding clothes that fit, not about looks; MM is beautiful). I’m just a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, but now I’m going to pay more attention. I think her idea might be a great one for women who have more money and care more about fashion than I do (i.e. everybody lol). Screw size, every woman deserves to feel beautiful (even me with my super-duper short hair, jeans and t-shirts). Honestly, I’m pretty much always team MM – I have a girl crush!
In here, they took size 40 (which is 12) and changed it to 38 (10) , they think we’re stupid and don’t notice the trick. If it’s to make us feel like losing weight, it didn’t work with me.
Melissa is beautiful, she doesn’t need to change anything.
I love Melissa. Love her wit, her brain, her niceness, her talent….all of it. And I think her face and hair look amazing in the pictures, above. But sweet Jesus, the clothes and the styling are AWFUL. What’s up with the leggings wrinkled at her knees? They needed to be pulled down. And shiny leggings on a heavier woman? Just no. Her baby toes are making a run for it out of those sandals, and why is she wearing a black knit shirt under the caftan top? Oy.
What happened to her protesting just a short while back about how she didn’t need/want to lose weight and was perfectly happy and ate healthfully, blah blah? It seems to be what they say right before dropping 50-75 pounds. Not my “business” but just a pet peeve. Actors/Actresses should just stick to doing their jobs and not giving interviews. lol
Her hair looks great here but the outfit isn’t very flattering.
I can’t wait to see her movie – it’s such a great mix of actors/actresses!
I have a theory about why there are not a lot of pretty clothes in larger sizes. The people who buy the clothes are stick thin. They think people who are not stick thin should have to wear ugly clothes.
They also do stupid things like ordering sleeveless shirts for women. Women over 40 rarely like to have their arms sticking out. Also, you get cold arms and it is not comfortable.
I would love to have the money to have my own clothing line of classy clothes for larger women. That said, a lot of thinner women complain about clothing options these days. Retailers do not seem to know what to do. They could sell a ton of stuff if they made quality clothes that are not see-through.
Until last year, I wore plus sizes, and while the clothing options are SUPER limited (you have about 10% of the choice of the non-plus sized market), I still kind of preferred shopping in a section or a store with clothes my size. I didn’t feel offended or othered by it. I felt more offended and othered by designers who refuse to make clothes designed to fit larger women in any flattering way and then marketed them as plus sized clothes, though. After I lost weight and was in non-plus sizes, I was able to buy nice, well-fitting clothes at reasonable prices. This is generally not the case at all in plus size clothes, no matter what section they are in. At least at places like Lane Bryant, I knew they at least TRIED to create flattering shapes for bigger bodies and had options which didn’t involve muumuus.
ya no Melissa, there are actual reasons. Plus size shoppers tend to be more self conscious and prefer privacy, their own door to enter or leave through, there is normally even a door for them to use when wanting to avoid other shoppers. its done in a respectful manner. theyve explained this to security workers.