Just recently The Telegraph, specifically writer Tanya Gold, released an article with the title: "Obese mannequins are selling women a dangerous lie." The article gets Nike's message wrong on so many levels and body positive activists everywhere are taking a stand. Some of Gold's claims include, but are certainly not limited to the following…
"Yet the new Nike mannequin is not size 12, which is healthy, or even 16 – a hefty weight, yes, but not one to kill a woman. She is immense, gargantuan, vast. She heaves with fat."
I believe that the mannequin that "heaves with fat" would be better described as strong, athletic, built, and confident. That mannequin is somebody who just ran her first marathon. She is a college athlete successfully balancing her academic career and never missing a practice. She is a mother who works her ass off at the gym after dropping her children off at school. She eats an incredibly healthy diet, but she won't hate herself for having a cheat day for a glass of wine or slice of cake. She is raw, real, and represents millions of women across the globe who are living their lives to the fullest.
“...she is not readying herself for a run in her shiny Nike gear. She cannot run. She is, more likely, pre-diabetic and on her way to a hip replacement.”
How do curvy or overweight women ever win? If they aren't exercising, it's frowned upon, but they are also being told now that they cannot exercise or run. I am typically a size 12-14 in clothing, or an extra large. I am by no means supermodel thin, but my thick thighs take me places. They take me on walks with my dog. They support me strutting my stuff in high heels and a tight-fitted dress. Best yet, and Tanya Gold you'll think this is crazy, they carry me miles on a treadmill. You heard it here first ladies and gentleman, heavier girls can run! Who would have ever thought that? I run, cycle, practice yoga, lift weights, dance around, and I am at a stage of fitness that I am content with. I do not have a thigh gap, I have nothing close to a flat stomach, my cellulite glows in the sun, and my stretch marks shine in my bikinis. Nonetheless I don't care if I have to look in the plus sized sections at certain stores because I know I am working on bettering my health everyday.
“So, it worries me to see Nike, who promote athleticism, treating the obese model as potentially healthy in the cause of profit.”
This is a classic case of fatphobia. Do heavier set people make you uncomfortable Tanya Gold? I can assure you that plus sized women can be in just as good of shape as any size two woman. I can guarantee that just because somebody is larger does not immediately say that they are suffering from health problems such as heart issues or diabetes. If these women are wanting to shop at Nike to purchase clothes to work out in then who is to judge them? Absolutely nobody. In summary, Gold's theory is that Nike should not have a plus sized line because they should not support obesity. Tanya Gold if that is how you clearly and evidently so strongly feel then how do you expect women who are obese to try and better their health? If they can't find workout clothes that are good quality and fit them properly then how will they ever workout? Where and when will the fat shaming ever end?
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