A model known to many, Ashley Graham has yet again come into the limelight for her body and for her weight. The model, along with other plus-size models is being accused of 'normalising' obesity and causing people to underestimate their own weight as a result of promoting body positivity in the fashion industry. Sociologists from the University of East Anglia said it could undermine efforts to tackle the obesity epidemic where more than three in five Britons are overweight or obese.
Many fashion labels now have plus-size collections which cater to women sized between 18 and 32. Speaking up about the 'Curve', Associate Professor Dr Raya Muttarak from the University of East Anglia said, “By introducing a new design and styling tailored for plus-size customers and using carefully selected fabrics complementing fuller figures, Curve primarily contributes to promoting body positivity. While this type of body-positive movement helps reduce stigmatisation of larger-sized bodies, it can potentially undermine the recognition of being overweight and its health consequences.”
The study published in the journal, Obesity warned that weight misperception has increased in England.
Prof Muttarak added, “Seeing the huge potential of the fuller-sized fashion market, retailers may have contributed to the normalisation of being overweight and obese. The increase in weight misperception in England is alarming and possibly a result of this normalisation.”
Overall, those underestimating their weight are 85 per cent less likely to try to lose weight compared to people who accurately identified their weight status. The study used data from the annual Health Survey for England, which contains a question on weight perception. It focused on respondents with a BMI of 25 or over, about two-thirds were classified as being overweight and one-third as obese.
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