Fashion Writer: Malnourished Women Are Out...

I'm now waiting for people to begin ranting about how this will help teenage girls and young women avoid eating disorder; I am going to laugh when that happens.

This worrying about what's "in" or "out" is extremely shallow.

Good health is always fashionable and desirable. It has always been sought and considered a mark of attractiveness by every culture throughout history and before. Good health has visible signs. If vanity leads to good health habits, that's a sign of the wisdom behind nature.

People should seek good health. And you can use the visible signs of good health to measure your progress, as well as the less-visible signs. Parents should seek good health for their children too. If that means encouraging your daughter to lose (or gain) a few pounds, then that's the right thing to do. The same goes for sons.

If you go by what's "in" or "out" or you fail to act because of "self-esteem" or you just don't care enough to try, then that's just irresponsible.

Giving people an excuse for failure might be good marketing in bad economic times. But failing to maintain good health is not good, and it will never truly be "in", regardless of what you hear otherwise.

Darnit! Just when I start getting this weight business under control, fat comes into fashion. Oh well, guess I'd better stop worrying about that whole health thing and lay back into the doritos!

"once evidence of having luxurious amounts of time and money to devote to self-sculpture"

ahahahaha.. anyone who thinks you need lots of time and money to get lean is an idiot.

um, no.

there are biological and evolutionary reasons why thin is preferred and will continue to be preferred as long as the majority gets fatter. correct or not, being thin in the face of a world of food abundance and sedentary lifestyles signals a certain status. people subconsciously think that thin people are more educated, more motivated, have more self-discipline and restraint, and are generally better at managing their lives. these are qualities to which people aspire and skinniness has become an external indicator of them.

in today's developed countries, being thin requires work. people have to give serious thought to what and how much we eat and their activity levels and how we are going to integrate it into our already-busy lives. in years and centuries past, being stout required work. most people worked jobs that required physical exertion and surpluses of food were not easy to come by. a little extra meat signified wealth, leisure and status. it's no small wonder that the minority has always been in demand.

i'm not saying it's correct to assume that thin people always possess desirable traits that the overweight and obese do not. i'm stating that it's a fact that people DO make these assumptions, often without realizing it, and this is the reason that thin will be en vogue in spite of the increasing girth of the general population.

Nancy Etcoff's "Survival of the Prettiest" offers very interesting insights into the evolutionary biology of our perceptions of beauty.

I don't think truly "fat" fashion models will ever be in style; I think we're talking more like the return of the late-80's/early 90's Cindy Crawford/Tyra Banks type women that actually had some meat on their frames. Most fashion models today are indeed rail-thin and probably subsist on a diet of cocaine, black coffee, and cigarettes and are not a picture of good health. I think in a period of rough economic times, people don't want to be even further stressed/depressed when they see an unattainable fashion model on the cover of a magazine and know they'll never look like that. It's just one more pressure on them. Of course, I don't think we need to aspire to be fat or obese, but I don't see anything wrong with putting athletic, healthy women on the covers of magazines instead of toothpick-thin celebrities and models.

I understand that in tough economics people eat cheaper food. Counting calories is seemed as self involved. So they put on weight.
I would think the opposit would happen. Wouldn't you save more money by just not eating as much? Therefore becoming thinner? Skip dinner tonight and you can have breakfast tommorow...you know what I mean?

I don't know about all of this but I think thinner people will most likely always be "more in". Studies also prove that thinner & better looking people seem to do better career wise & make more money. Some of that may be just the self-confidence that comes with being attractive & "not fat".

But back to the fat thing, jeez, a size 8 or 10 is fat to some of these entertainment shows!!! Sometimes they eve call a size 6 lady fat!!! Craziness! Not to sound sexist but why don't they spend some time bashing the men that hide under the suits or just in general. They mostly seem to get a free pass!

I am getting off subject so back to it. I don't think thin is going to be on the outs any time soon based on TV, ads, high selling diet books & programs etc. Yes, people are eating more due to stress but I don't think that is going to make "fat" the in thing.

I certainly can't see fat being in--but rail thin shouldn't be in either. We need to be healthy and neither extreme meets that goal.

Ive always believed that it doesnt matter what size you are, you will still have health issues. Whats the difference between an overweight person who eats alot of junk and a really skinny person who also eats alot of junk? Absolutely nothing. There are those who will always be skinny and those who will always be fat. Just because your slim doesnt mean your healthy within. My dad is a naturally big guy, not fat just real tall and big. Were sort of vegetarians and rarely ever eat meat. One time i remember he was telling me, he knocked on a door and got talking to this person about health. The guy looked at my dad and said "If your a vegetarian why are you big?" My dad replied. "Elephants are big and they're vegetarians."

Goes to show just how narrow minded some people are