Last week, one of our biggest stories was Cheryl Tiegs being an a—hole about Ashley Graham’s Sports Illustrated cover. Graham is currently one of the most popular and sought-after plus-sized models, “plus-sized” meaning that she looks like she’s about a size 16 or 18 in American (non-vanity) sizing. As I said in my original post, the E! News reporter threw out a gentle softball question to Tiegs and she just utterly screwed it up and offended everyone when she said: “Actually I don’t like that we’re talking about full-figured women because it’s glamorizing them and your waist should be smaller than 35 [inches]. That’s what Dr. Oz said, and I’m sticking to it. No, I don’t think it’s healthy.” As we learned yesterday, Ashley Graham had some thoughts too –she slapped back at Tiegs a little bit, but her attitude was more “this perspective is prevalent in the fashion industry, so things need to change.” Anyway, Tiegs has now written a short statement on HuffPo, addressed to Ashley Graham (I made some minor edits for space):
Dear Ashley,
Here is the question that was asked of me: “Do you love the fact that we are actually stepping outside our comfort zone of what we know is like the model figure and we are actually using full figured women and making that a thing now?”
This was a generic question, and I said that I did not love it. My answer was based on health concerns because of our nation’s increasing problems with weight linked to diabetes, heart issues and cancer. At no time was I thinking of a specific person.
What has ensued is yet another “manufactured media feud” that is needed to feed websites and empty air time.
I was not equating beauty to weight or size, but unfortunately that is what the media reported in headlines. I was trying to express my concern over media images and the lack of education in America about healthy choices, thus the reference to the 35-inch waist as a guideline to health. I did hear that on Dr. Oz, but it’s also stated on websites such as The Center For Disease Control, Harvard University and The American Diabetes Association.
And by the way, my waist is 37 inches.
I worry about the influence that print media has on this issue and I care about the health of all Americans. If it becomes the norm, then what happens with rates of diabetes, cancer and heart disease? This has nothing to do with beauty.
Please accept my deepest apology if you were offended or in any way think I was referring to you. I commend you on the positive influence you have on helping women to love themselves. I care about health and longevity for everyone.
Sincerely, Cheryl Tiegs
While I originally thought Cheryl Tiegs was a drunk, out-of-touch lady who needed to sit down, now I kind of hate her. This was not a “manufactured” feud. I even included the video of the E! interview in my original post, and the E! reporter was clearly name-checking and referencing Ashley Graham, and Cheryl clearly said that she’s not down for the “glamorization” of full-figured women or anyone with a waist bigger than 35 inches. I also feel like the whole “BUT THINK ABOUT THE HEALTH CONCERNS” argument is both tedious and concern-trolly. And like Ashley said in her response yesterday, “There are too many people thinking they can look at a girl my size and say that we are unhealthy. You can’t, only my doctor can!” Thin does not equal healthy, and Size 16 does not equal unhealthy.
Also, the “I’m sorry you were offended” thing needs to stop. Just say you were sorry, full-stop.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I have a Bag Of D!cks here for Cheryl to consume, SHUT.UP bitter Lady!, which btw i would be saying to Ashley if she was making commentary in public about “old bitter models that dont use sunscreen and have the worst skin, for someone in Fashion , ETC” , Mind your own dang business
Cheryl Tiegs is a concern troll.
People think couching whatever they’re saying in “Concern” rhetoric makes any criticism of their message invalid.
“Treating a plus-sized model unequally? Nonsense! I’m just expressing concern about ailments an overweight person might get in their 50’s and 60’s!”
“Homophobia? Nonsense! My complaint about same-sex couples on TV is simply about Concern For The Children!”
The list could go on and on, really.
actually, I just watched the original clip and I think she’s a tipsy troll. Sounded a bit slurry.
@Mrs. Wellen-Mellon:That is the most accurate description of this type of person that I’ve ever heard
@Otaku Fairy: Your examples are both sad and funny but oh so right!
Not a Cheryl fan at all, however –
I don’t understand how someone can claim to be body positive yet not tell the truth about their size. That is not a size 16. Empower yourself with your words and actions. Don’t undercut your message by thinking your audience is unaware.
(And I’m speaking in the macro here too, this is an issue with lots of women of “size” who speak about being comfortable and accepting of their genetic makeup. Then they follow up with “I’m a happy size 18” when clearly that’s not the case.)
And of course it doesn’t matter at all. How much longer will “thighs” be a heated topic of conversation among intelligent people??
Ashley’s a beautiful woman and if SI decides she’s cover material more power to all involved. She’s a model, she’s supposed to look pretty and be engaging. End of.
The debate on whether she should be a role model BECAUSE of her size is ridiculous. I’m not going to champion or condemn her because I’ve nothing to base it on – everything I’ve read revolves around the number on the back of her dress. I’m sick of both sides holding that up as evidence of whether she’s a “good person” or not.
…so wait, in a discussion about not judging women’s worth or health based on their size you just went completely south and said, “That’s not even a size 16.”
Well, I’ll be here waiting for the proof on that, because this is exactly what sent Tieggs off the rails. Let me guess. Ashley looks way too big to just be a size 16. Totally don’t even count her height or anything.
Let’s just say I’m not going to be looking to the cover of SI’s swimsuit edition for my role model.
@ Eternal .. I believe the irony is very much lost.
@side eye – Nope, simply using my little square box to make more than one comment aimed at more than one discussion point.
There can be many truths and many elements to an argument.
Perhaps read through and digest ALL aspects of a conversation before you make a knee-jerk response that pulls out one item and doesn’t take into account all that was written.
So all that being said you don’t think she’s a size 16 correct?
All I asked for is proof, because that statement follows the same path as Tieggs. All size 16’s do not look the same. All women have a different body shape and carry their weight differently. Ashley is pretty clearly an hourglass and very tall. She’s not going to look like a 5’2 or 5’6 woman who’s also a size 16.
THANK YOU. That is NOT a size 16. I’m so sick of “HOLY SH*T THAT FAT GIRL IS A HERO” media pandering.
Look, she’s pretty enough to make money off her body, in spite of her weight in today’s climate. Good for her. But, I doubt she’s a paragon of healthy living and that’s her business not mine. Sure, I don’t find her attractive in the least and having seen behind the scenes footage of her during the SI photo shoot I feel like she has no business being on the cover of a magazine that’s purportedly about fitness and physical activity.
Why would she be lying? She looks a size 16 to me. The woman is 5’9″. My mother’s two inches taller, and she looked smaller than that when she was a size 16. I have a long torso that distributes my weight differently than a lot of shorter women, so most people are shocked when I tell them what I weigh. Build is a huge part of why BMI doesn’t always paint an honest picture.
@ Spooky
Models in general have never been “paragon[s] of healthy living.” If it’s a thin model doing her thing on a magazine cover, people don’t tend to question the signs of malnourishment (or the glassy-eyed coke/Adderall stares). The prevailing attitude is mostly “eh, that’s models for ya’.”
If a model like Graham makes a cover, people start screaming “OHMIGOD, there’s a ‘FAT GIRL’ (nice) in front of me right now, and I DON’T LIKE LOOKING AT IT MAKE IT GO AWAY.”
Graham has just as much business being on the cover of a magazine as Cheryl Tiegs ever did. Unless you subscribe to the theory that everyone who catches a glimpse of her will slip into some sort of fugue state and immediately start eating everything in sight until they explode.
Anyone who would insist that a curvy woman is a bad example for the masses could ask themselves how many smoking addicts are coughing up bits of lung, or have died, because they saw the gorgeously thin supermodel Ms. Cheryl Tiegs shilling cigarettes in about 100 different Virginia Slims ads in the mid/late seventies, and decided to be Just Like Her.
You think she’s lying about her size? I would be surprised if she was bigger than a size 16- to me she looks like a size 16 or even 14. Height and the way you like your clothes to fit can effect clothing size- one leaner looking woman and one thicker looking woman could both wear a size 6 or 8, but one of the women might be shorter or taller or prefer to wear her clothes tighter or looser. I’ve also heard from other women that their being shorter or taller makes a difference in how much weight it takes for them to lose or go up a dress size.
How is that NOT a size 16? I’m a size 12 to 14 and she looks to be about the same size as I am in those pictures. Christina Hendricks says publicly that she is a size 14 and she actually looks larger than this model here. What the fuck are you talking about? She doesn’t fat at all, she looks robust and strong.
B*t@h be mad that she spent her 20s and 30s starving. And here Ashley is…having her cake and eating it too (quite literally!)
Don’t forget the cameras adds 10 to 15 pounds. Seriously those of you who are saying she’s overweight is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard and I hear stupid $hit all day. It’s quite ignorant and says more about you and your mental health trying to play a guessing game of things that are innaccurate because you have no evidence, and neither does this science bull you can talking about either. Watch in another several years all that we know as “healthy” now will change.
Some people just don’t know when to stop.
I hate to be this person but Ashley does look too big to be healthy in any way. She’s obese and that is never a good thing.
She doesn’t look obese to me in that white dress. She looks like a beautiful lady with curves.
Fat isn’t the same as curvy, she’s clearly obese.
Totally agree – she looks absolutely lovely.
@Ang – she probably works out and eats a healthy diet. Some people just have that natural body shape and predilection to be more curvy.
She looks delectable in that white dress!!
She is not obese. Tess Holiday, Carnie Wilson, Melissa McCarthy and arguably Queen Latifah and Oprah are obese. Ashley Graham is overweight, not obese, but carries her fat in the hips which even doctors say is better than having a fat belly. Ashley Graham has photos of herself working out in the gymn. I’d say she is about the size of khloe Kardashian. Obese has a clinical/medical definition and its not Ashley Graham. I appreciate seeing models like her in fashion magazines because it lets full figured people know you can look your best and there are nice clothes available to you regardless of where you are in your fitness journey. Go Ashley!
@Juls I don’t think obese, fat or curvy = unattractive. I think you can be beautiful at any size. And I am not too sure that Tiegs is saying you can’t be beautiful and be over size 16. The problem is people keep conflating 2 issues: Beauty and Health. Beauty has nothing to do with health. In pictures Ashley does look very overweight but we don’t know what she looks like in real life. I’ve seen actresses who look almost anorexic in real life but in pictures they look healthy. And I’ve seen actresses who look overweight on TV but in real life do not.
Size 16 is a guideline for being overweight. Its not an absolute truth. Tiegs seems to be just saying that weight shouldn’t be seen primarily as a beauty issue but more of a health issue. At least that is what I understood her to say.
People really need to learn the meaning of curvy. If your waist is smaller than your hips, then you are curvy. That means that Kerry Washington is a slim curvy girl. Rebel Wilsons hips do not taper out so she is large girl who is not curvy. Curvy and fat are two different things.
Anyway, she is obviously carrying more fat than is medically recommended. Whether thats obese or just over weight is semantics in my opinion. If I were her doctor I would tell her to either burn more calories or reduce her calorie consumption. I am however not her doctor, so who cares what I think,
A lot of naturally skinny women seem to think that just because someone has junk in the trunk it means she is an obese, unhealthy, and lazy slob when that is not the case. My weight fluctuates so that when I am eating healthy (not starving myself like so many women do) and exercising I am between a size 10 and 12. When I get a moderate amount of exercise and eat whatever I want I am between a size 12 and 14. I get a yearly physical and my doctors say I am perfectly healthy. I have no diabetes, no high blood pressure, no high cholesterol, no signs of disease or cancer. Yet a naturally skinny woman will look at me and think I am obese and unhealthy when that is not the case. And guess what? A lot of men would pick my body or Ashley Graham’s over a typical runway model. Men don’t like fat rolls but most of the ones I come across love curves, breasts, and an ass, so I’m sure Ashley Graham is being worshipped by more men than the average “healthy” woman. As Amy Schumer said, “I’m probably like 160 pounds right now and I can catch a dick whenever I want, like, that’s the truth. It’s not a problem!” .
She is FAR from obese.
I really really don’t see that on her.
I personally carry 40 extra pounds on my 5’9″ frame, and I’m working on it (pregnancy, spinal issues, stress eating etc caused it). I have had several full medical work ups and despite my extra weight I am in perfect health. No cholesterol issues, no blood pressure issues, perfect blood sugar, and so on. My very thin mother has blood sugar and cholesterol issues, and she doesn’t have an extra pound on her!
There’s a world of difference between a full figure and the kind of obesity that causes health risks. It’s not like she carries 70-100 or more extra pounds on her.
She looks about 70 pounds overweight to me and very unhealthy.
It’s all statistical trends in large sample groups of thousands of people. Overweight people are more prone to cancers, diabetes and heart disease. Thin people are less prone. Not every overweight person dies young(er) of a weight related illness. Many do. Some smokers never contract cancer or COPD either, they just get lucky. But is it healthy to smoke? Research tells us no, just like it tells us that being overweight isn’t healthy.
And how can you tell how much she weighs, exactly?
Go back to your hole.
What @anon33 said! *sips tea
Pfft… What I would give to look unhealthy the way she does….
Yes me too. I look and feel obese, but she looks amazing…
I cannot believe some of you on here. Lord.
Many people are actually built this way.
The average size in the U.S. is 14 – so she’s not that far off as a 16.
Ok but here’s where I stand. Whether someone has Lyme disease, depression, bipolar, obesity, skin cancer, vitiligo, or foot fungus, we are all beautiful. Every one of us. And no matter where someone is in their health journey, IT’S OK TO FIND THEM BEAUTIFUL.
That’s the whole point. Our narrow view of beauty fits practically nobody. When really my grandmother is beautiful. My mailman is beautiful. Maybe one weighs a bit more. Maybe one doesn’t get enough sleep. But celebrating all kinds of beauty isn’t harmful. And who says we have to have a medical exam before being on a damn magazine?? Being the picture of health has nothing to do with it.
It’s far more dangerous for a little girl to feel she isn’t good enough than to have a couple 400 lb women decide to not lose weight because they are comfortable at an unhealthy size.
Love your comment Wiffie! This gets missed in this debate.
Well said, Wiffie. Let’s not miss the most important issue of all.
Yay Wiffie!
Great comment! Since when are only healthy people beautiful? “My friend was drop dead gorgeous, but then she was diagnosed with heart disease and there went her looks.” Obviously no one says anything like this. I never had more people tell me how beautiful I was than when I was deep in clinical depression and lost a lot of weight. They didn’t seem concerned about my health.
THIS. Exactly. Great post, Wiffie.
@wiffie, thank you!
Love you, WIffe! This is the EXACT point. Thanks for spelling it out.
Wrong. I’m about the same weight as Ashley and had my annual physical last month. My numbers are all well within normal range. I am perfectly healthy.
I am so sick of these arm chair diagnosis from Internet comments.
IKR? I’m with you. All my numbers are great so my doctor is like, you’re fine.
The person who would know whether or not she’s actually obese would be her doctor. The person who would know whether or not she’s unhealthy would be her doctor. Just as it would be with the ‘naturally slender’ fashionistas and many actresses: the person would be most qualified to know whether they’re at healthy weights would be their doctors.
I agree with you. Her lower body is huge.
You clearly don’t hate to be that person.. In fact, I’m sure you relish it.
Get a grip!
LMAO, thank you.
She was chomping at the bit to be that person. Please.
Yeah, that’s kind of along the same lines of starting a sentence with “no offense, but …”
In Ang’s defense, it must be very tiring to sanctimoniously pick apart the worth of every women who doesn’t meet an arbitrary definition of what’s attractive.
Ashley is not obese. Even if she is overweight it might not even be by that much. Her life is not in danger.
So a full medical exam before booking modeling jobs then?
Why should health have anything to do with being on a cover of a magazine? It never had before with all the coke fueled thin women.
Right? She’s not a health advocate, she’s a model. Her job was to look hot on the cover. Her health is no one’s business.
Wiffie I love you. That is all.
So true. No one was asking for medical records when very unhealthily thin models whom everyone knew were abusing drugs and alcohol were on the cover of magazines and walking runways. Yet all of these people are now commenting on health when it comes to Ashley Graham. I don’t think so. These people are hating big time and it is because she is changing the rules of the game.
“And in today’s episode of still not getting the point!”
Hilarious.
She LOOKS obese. She doesn’t LOOK like a size 16. She can’t be healthy because she doesn’t LOOK like it.
Gosh. If only photos accompanied everyone criticizing her. Then we could really get everyone’s health in order.
If you hate being that person, then don’t be that person.
Word.
I can’t tell what her size is, if I’m honest. It seems to depend on what she’s wearing. In the black dress, her waist looks smaller and just generically plus-size (not plus-plus-plus size). In the white dress, she looks not excessively large. But then in the see-through dress, she looks bigger than I anticipated. But then everybody seems to look bigger around the hip area than what I imagined when I see them in see-through dresses.
Because she’s tall, I think the extra weight she’s carrying doesn’t necessarily look as strange on her as it would be on a shorter person like myself.
She’s really pretty like Adele is, so she probably doesn’t have to diet herself down to a smaller size for her beauty to be noticed. I wonder if that’s what is bothering Tiegs (who HAD to be thin, because her face was so unremarkable).
Can I ask where you got your medical degree? Because you do know that “obese” is an actual medical condition that needs a diagnosis from a doctor? It’s not just a descriptor.
Right! There is a clinical definition for obesity. I don’t believe Ashley meets those criteria. She is a beautiful woman and models plus size clothing very nicely. I’m not “glamourizing” her. I’m just glad she’s there to represent plus size ladies who want to buy nice clothes, as any other fashion model might do.
She’s not obese.
She’s 5’9″ and just over 200 lbs. She’s clinically obese.
Exactly. In most countries she would be the poster girl for obese. The fact that she is pretty shouldn’t distract.
And yes she is unhealthy. Young smokers are healthy , but from their habits they will develop countless of health problems. Same with fat people.
Your fixation on policing the bodies of others is also unhealthy.
@TRJ: it’s not a fixation. It’s an opinion. deal with it!
Maybe with a bit more of “policing” there would be less overweighted people…
ps: the definition of “policing” is easily found online
Oh, I see. Well, then it’s “overweight” not “overweighted.” Also easily found online.
There’s a difference between being ‘at risk’ of developing an illness some point in the future and actually having that illness. Good thing we can’t automatically diagnose people with illnesses just by knowing their dress size.
@trj: english is not my first langage.what’s your excuse for not knowing a basic définition? ( instead of a typo…)
Obese? I wouldn’t go that far. She doesn’t have a lot of fat around her waist, so that’s a good thing. She is curvy and probably over-weight but I wouldn’t put her in the dangerously obese category. I you want to see what obese people look like, just go visit Disney World during peak times. I went a few years ago and just couldn’t believe it. I was just recently in Europe and you’d have to search for days even weeks to find someone who is obese. America definitely has a problem. It really comes down to the fact that junk food is so much cheaper than veggies and fruit. Healthy food needs to be cheaper and more accessible.
Obese is defined by the National Institution on Health as a BMI of 30 or more . 30 BMI actually equals about 30 pounds overweight. Just trying to clarify with a proper definition. Personally I think she is gorgeous and like seeing covers like this one
I wouldn’t make a judgment like that. The decision o er whether she’s at a healthy or unhealthy weight is between her and her doctor.
When I was about a size 16-18, my health wasn’t easily defined, either. I was starting to get hypertension, but I have a naturally low cholesterol level. At the time, it was 126. Over the years, I lost weight and maintained it at about a size 12-14. My health “numbers” are now good, and I have strength, endurance and agility to do everything I want.
People are different from each other. Some are healthy at a weight where many others might have hypertension or be at risk for diabetes. That asessment is between an indiviudal and her doctor.
As to aesthetics, that, too, is a question of personal preference.
If Ashley Graham says she’s fine and believes she’s fine, I accept that, and good for her for having set out to succeed – and indeed succeeding – in an industry that is phobic about anyone above size zero.
Cheryl is trying to latch on to Ashley’s coat tails, IMO.
There is a huuuuuuge difference between glamorizing obesity (and yes that does happen, I see it on the Internet and on Instagram etc) and appreciating Ashley’s beautiful body. She looks incredibly healthy.
I do dislike the idea of obesity acceptance from a health standpoint. There’s this whole “diet industry dropout” fad I have seen where women who are 300, 400+ Lbs are patting each other on the back for not even trying to amend their bad health and weight. That’s a whole different ballgame though. Those women are on the verge of a stroke or heart attack. Ashely on the other hand is probably in perfect health and doesn’t carry the kind of weight to really impact health. Cheryl should really mind her own business, and if she is truly concerned for the health of obese people she should try a whole different approach.
Completely agree on the glamorization of obesity on Instagram. Holy crap. If people were this open about glamourizing other diseases or addictions we would not be having it. Nobody should give these women a pat on the back. I definitely don’t stand for people encouraging each other to stay obese. It’s like the anorexia websites encouraging each girl to stay sick. But we’re not allowed to say anything otherwise we’re “body shaming” and “bullying.” I don’t know why America is fine with being such a fat country. It’s a problem. Ashley is NOT part of that problem. People like Tess are. And I will not pretend that’s gorgeous.
By making it about what you do or don’t consider gorgeous, you are making it about superficiality, shaming, bullying, and beauty.
I do think it’s good to educate people about living a healthy life and in an ideal world, people would live healthily and be healthy. And yes, the part of the fat acceptance movement that equates ALL dieting to torture, anorexia, and bulimia in order to support their argument is extreme (and can be unhealthy.) But people should be able to personally decide for themselves how much time, energy, effort, and sacrifice they’re willing to put into having great health in a world where anything can go wrong and where people tend to develop health problems when they get older anyway. And even if you don’t agree with every decision a person has made with their body, or they’re someone you “will not pretend is gorgeous” (I actually think Tess is pretty. Not as pretty as Ashley, but that’s not the point), they should still be treated equally and with dignity and respect. A person could look like Satan’s actual ass crack and still be entitled to that. People who we deem beautiful and healthy shouldn’t be the only ones to get representation in the media or be the only ones who get to speak up for themselves.
Even those 300-400lb “dropouts” deserve to have well constructed clothing and models to show them how they might look if they purchased those items. Models are meant to show clothing. They are not meant to be the standard bearers of the American Heart Association.
^ THIS!!!
Yet another example of someone not taking responsibility for their actions.
OK Cheryl – let’s open a dialogue about the egregious plastic surgery you have had. What kind of message does THAT send to all the young impressionable females out there struggling with their images because of what the media and fashion world deem acceptable…hmmm????
A note to all “concerned” citizens…mind your freaking business! No one has the right to shame ANYONE about their weight, race, height, etc, etc. I’m so sick of people thinking we all need to be the same. Ashley kept it classy and has gained a fan from me.
It grinds my gears so bad when people say “I’m sorry you were offended/hurt”. NO. Just stop.
Also agree that this made me think worse of Tiegs for all the reasons above
It’s interesting that she is saying “Sorry if I offended or hurt you” to Ashley when I’m pretty sure Ashley has said repeatedly she doesn’t care what Cheryl thinks.
I know this isn’t the point but Is anyone else confused on how Cheryl is measuring?! My eyes can tell me she doesn’t have a 37 inch waist. Unless there are zero current photos of her being included in any reporting.
Me too! I call bull on Cheryl having a 37-inch waist and also on Ashley having a 29-inch waist.
To be honest, you *can* have a much larger waist, and yet still be a smaller size in your bust/hips. I’m the thinnest I’ve been in 35 yrs. yet due to menopause, my waist is 3″ *wider* than it’s ever been! makes no sense… except, HORMONES. I wear a 10/12 dep. on the designer, and a S, M, or L dep. on the cut of a top/sweater. But during menopause, we do tend to “thicken” in the middle. It takes a s*%#@!load of vigilance to not spread wider during this time; sadly, as estrogen decreases and almost disappears, so do our waists. Really bums me out! lol I am *so* careful about what I eat, log calories, exercise, etc., but damn!!! At 5’2″, if I eat over 1100 cal. I will GAIN weight! It’s really insane… FEH!
I have a friend who is a size 6, who has had heart and hip problems. Yet here am I, a 10/12, and all my levels are “normal” (cholesterol, blood pressure, blood labs, etc). IT”S NOT THE DRESS SIZE PEOPLE!!!! GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEADS!!!!
That surprised me too.
The open letter is over kill. This is the most anybody has talked about Cheryl Tiegs in 30 years. She must have missed the attention.
Not to mention her letter does not address why she mentioned ‘but she has a beautiful face’, or whatever her exact passive aggressive ending was during that interview clip.
Maybe Cheryl wants to be a cigarette spokesmodel again or revive her line at Sears.
Right? But she wasn’t talking about Ashley. Sure Jan.
@FINGERBINGER: EXACTLY! I said the same thing ⬇there, before I saw yours.
Lol! That open letter is absurd. Cheryl is acting like the question was “isn’t it great how plus sized models, who are all morbidly obese, are expanding our views on beauty?” Her response was totally hostile and crazy, and I think it says more about her than anyone else.
Cheryl needs a new do.
So does Jerry hall.
Ashley is GORGEOUS AND overweight.
The world turns.
Absolutely spot-on about Cheryl. First thing I noticed. Nothing ages a person’s appearance more than desperately clinging to the style that worked for them at 16, or at 26.
Tiegs maybe should just move on from this. She is from that mindset where you shot down anyone who wasn’t a size zero in the modeling world. Ashley is correct about starting a dialogue about this. Cheryl is just not equipped to participate in this type of Dialogue
Ashley Graham is fine. I don’t think she’s unhealthy. The glamorization of Tess Monster is the one that worries me! I’m glad she’s not getting that much work anymore because that is one body type you do not want to normalize. She is morbidly obese. All morbidly obese people need to be encouraged to get help ASAP. Beauty talk is completely irrelevant. Love yourself TAKE CARE of yourself. If people want to call that out they should. Obesity kills.
Ashley is the average HEALTHY plus size woman. And she’s attractive and hot as hell. Tess is not.
I totally agree.
While I don’t follow Tess, I don’t understand the use of the word “glamorization” here. Fashion models are hired to demonstrate how clothing might look on a person who decides to purchase them. For many years plus size catalogs had slim models and it was nearly impossible to see what a size 18W dress might look like when they had it pinned on size 8 woman. Tess is said to be size 22. There are many women out there her size and larger. They are going to work, church, school and social events every day. They buy clothes. How is it glamourizing to have big models show big clothes to big women who will be purchasing them? I’m truly not understanding.
Look up the definition of obese, it will surprise u, it did me
her weight does appear unhealthy to me, sorry. but she is no worse than all the underweight models we have grown accustomed to.
I’ve always heard that many men prefer fuller figured women. Why are these men’s magazines full of skinny girls?
Ugh on your “men prefer” comment. That’s crap. Men have different preferences, and let’s not tailor ourselves to their supposed desires.
WORD
Ugh on this entire comment.
Obviously many men prefer skinny women.
I grew up (& still) live in LA (Beverly Hills/Century City area); trust me… if you’re not a size 0-2 here, you’re considered overweight. My sister, who is a 6/8 was told that “perhaps she might want to loose a few…” when she was looking for a dress in Chanel (for a special occasion). We both we gobsmacked… felt like we were in “Pretty Woman”! lol Needless to say, we left after saying a few choice words (polite, but made our point).
After all these days of hearing about Tiegs I’m tired of her. I’ve gotta say thought that Ashley Graham is SMOKIN! She’s gorgeous and her body is lovely.
Right? And the more people bitch about her weight the more I’m like, “Yes ma’am! Wear those skimpy dresses and shame the devil with those curves!”
Yes she looks amazing!
“or in any way think I was referring to you.”
Rolled my eyes so hard I think I’ve sprained something.
Pretty is as pretty does, Cheryl…
Always had big boobs and hourglass figure. Put on about 20 lbs due to menopause (I'[m in my 50s). Just been diagnosed as pre-diabetic. Cheryl is right – it is a big issue and being overweight is one of the #1 factors. Even 20 lbs overweight. So Ashley might be okay now, but it will catch up. The fact that Cheryl gave her own waist measurement (and it was larger than the healthy size) I think gives credibility to her clarification.
Do you believe Cheryl’s waist measurement? I’m not good with such things. I was thinking she’d be 32-33, not 37.
I find it impossible to believe. I’ve got a 30″ waist and, judging by that photo, Cheryl is if anything smaller than me. She’s still a very slim woman. Maybe she was thinking in centimetres lol!
No way she has a 37 inch waist. I’m 5″ 5 inches, 185 pounds. When they measured my waist for my health screening, I think it was 35 inches. She’s full of it.
I don’t think you can generalize your situation to everyone. I’m sorry for your health concerns, but that doesn’t meant that Graham will face anything like that. Plenty of thin people develop diabetes. It is as much about genetics as it is about lifestyle.
genetic you can’t control but lifestyle you can.
Are you referring to type 1 or type 2? BIIIIG difference might want to clarify.
That is not correct. It is not equally about genetics and lifestyle. For those for whom it’s genetics, lifestyle can still make a difference as to the severity. My BFF, an effortless size 4, was diagnosed with diabetes. Apparently it runs in her family. She radically changed her lifestyle, and has managed to control it for 30+ years without medication. Others develop adult-onset diabetes that goes into total remission if they are willing and able to entirely change their lifestyle. Believing that diabetes cannot be avoided or mitigated by lifestyle choices is like sticking your head into the sand. Diabetes, avoiding it, or mitigating the severity for those who have it, is very, very much influenced by lifestyle.
yep type 2 has a strong genetic componenet but even if you have genes ,environmental affects are a huge part in actually developing the disorder,since whenever we gain weight its mostly adipose tissue after we are fully grown(fat cells),one of the cell types dependent on insulin in taking up glucose,so our pancreas has to make more of it.the actual cells that make it are a few micrometers only,so the larger the body the harder it has to work,thats why people who are large due to hormonal disorders like gigantism(growth hormone excess) develop diabetes because of their large size.the cells just burn out ….offcourse the resistance is also developed,just depends how strong is the genetic component.
Sumo wrestlers are usually extremely healthy because they exercise so much. Fat does not equal unhealthy.
Being overweight is a risk factor. They’ve done studies on mortality (which is a good indicator on overall health in a population), and they found that people who eat lots of fruits and vegetables, are active, don’t smoke, and drink only in moderation, have roughly the same mortality rates regardless of their weight — and that includes for people who are obese, not just overweight.
Knock off one, or more, of those four healthy behaviours however, and mortality rates started to rise, but they rose much more sharply depending on how overweight the person was.
So being overweight is a risk factor; it acerbates the effect of an unhealthy lifestyle. It is NOT, by itself, a sign of unhealthiness.
What about the sumo wrestler’s joints? So many people around me ( I live in Houston, one of the most overweight cities in the US) need knee replacements and have limited mobility starting around their 60s.
Well, “bad joints” doesn’t mean “unhealthy” either. 🙂 The study’s results are valid, if limited in scope. Mortality rates are only a rough indicator of overall health.
Go read the definition of obese.
Go miss the point elsewhere.
What’s killing me about this “feud” is that people are behaving as though Graham being on the cover of SI’s swimsuit edition is some sort of victory for womenkind.
Thank you. It’s important to speak about body issues, but her image is being used to the same reasons as any other SI’s model’s: being a sexy ornament.
Am I supposed to be grateful that SI has deemed a size 16 woman worthy of being ogled over? She’s still being portrayed on her hands and knees and just another body. No thanks. I’m going to save my outrage for something else.
Finally, a comment I can absolutely agree with.
Yes and more yes. I tend to save my “Go girl” cheering for meaningful change. Nothing changes here and it’s still a woman being objectified.
“And by the way, my waist is 37 inches.”
We know Cheryl, because you keep obsessively telling us. Now stop begging for attention and move on. The world isn’t full of women with size 37 inches and telling people to be ashamed or unhappy has never resulted in weight loss.
People can’t just hide until they meet the desired socially acceptable weight or think their beauty doesn’t exist unless some crazy woman gives them the thumbs up. They are living right now and they deserve to be happy and feel sexy. To see people like them represented.
Get over yourself.
*applause
Right! Plus size people work, go to school, go to church, participate in social and leisure activities. They wear clothes for all these things. I don’t get why having plus size models showing nice plus size clothing to those who will buy them and wear them generates concern trolling.
YES!!!
To quote Mark Ruffalo in Now You See Me, could you be any more of a condescending a-hole?
Bullshi-t. I find it hard to believe that someone who actually has a 37 inch waist would be that self-righteous about pointing out the “health risks” of other peoples’ measurements. If you going to apologize, just say I’m sorry, if not, make peace with the fact that you’ve revealed yourself to be a ‘toxed-up curmudgeon and go away.
Amen to that. I would respect her more if she stood by her statement. She said she wasn’t specifically talking about Ashley, duh, she was the subject of the situation. Having a 37 inch waist at her age is probably normal, as we do tend to spread as we age. She probably considers herself fat.
Y’know, if that’s how Tiegs feels, she’s entitled to her opinion, no matter how judgmental and narrow-minded it is.
But could she please spare us yet another ridiculous supposed context correction? For her to now say “I was not equating beauty to weight or size,” is a blatant misrepresentation of what she said and clearly meant.
Because to state “I don’t like that we’re talking about full-figured women because it’s glamorizing them” is saying exactly that – that plus-size is not attractive, and we shouldn’t even be be TALKING ABOUT IT like it is.
I realize Tiegs is a model, so these things might not come naturally to her, but this might be a good time for someone to explain to her the definition of the word “glamorize.”
She thought it, she said it, and she meant it. Let’s just go ahead and call Tiegs a great big fat “37-inch” (eyeroll) waisted liar.
How is the issue been selling I wonder. That will have a bigger influence on whether curvier models get into mainstream pubs than anything that nitwit Cheryl Tiegs has to say about it.
Men’s magazines, maybe. But it won’t have any affect on fashion publications.
Works for me – mainstream is mainstream. Cheryl Tiegs was a highly successful model until her SI cover really blew up her career. There’s more than a whiff of Cheryl protecting her legacy here lol
So are we celebrating women of all sizes being reduced to being just their bodies?
That’s not at all what I said or meant, but go ahead a globalize it if that makes your day Bridget.
I don’t think YOU were saying that, but I’m pointing out what this”victory’ means. “Mainstream publications” aside from fashion magazines are typically men’s magan oppomaazines. Sure, it’s nice to see different types of women represented, but it’s not like this is some huge victory for us ladies.
Wasn’t Ashley the model for the super bowl commercial that got banned a few years ago because she was modeling lingerie and deemed too sexy? She’s been mainstream as is Toccara Jones of America’s Next Top Model fame. Toccarra has lost a bit of weight but is still a plus size model. I see her in a lot of magazines including Vogue Italia.
Ah, I didn’t know about the superbowl ad. Glad Ashley’s got this break. Love Toccara!
Oh, and since she cares ever so much about our health and longevity, I look forward to reports that Ms. Tiegs has donated to charity, or will in future, every penny she ever made from posing in CIGARETTE ADS.
if health is a requirement for booking a modelling job, maybe Miss Graham could run a foot race with her thinner counterparts and see who has the cardio and endurance to make it.
I am not going to judge anyone for what they do with their body, it is their business. But I am teaching my kids about eating properly and working out and how many calories are in things they eat and what is healthy and what is not and I am not going to call a woman who is clearly overweight a role model or promote her in any way.
If she wants to be overweight and deal with health issues from it, it is her business, I don’t care. But I don’t want my kids look like that.
American society is so overweight, people forgot what is “normal” . I grew up in USSR, and while we didn’t starve exactly, we didn’t have much food or variety of it. We grew most of it ourselves and then cooked from scratch. We also did a lot of physical labor. Most women were around size 6-8, older women were size 8-10. There were exceptions and people with health issues but majority of adult women were size 6-8. And that is what I consider normal for a person without any health issues.
“I don’t want my kids to look like that.”
Wow.
I guess that’s all that matters. Our self worth is all about the appearance
It is close Jenn, but it is not about the appearance. We want what is best for our kids. And being overweight is not what is best for them. They might end up being overweight , but it is not something I would be happy about.
You cannot say “I don’t want my kids to look like that” and then insist “it is not about appearance.” Kids change drastically back and forth as they grow; overweight kids become thin adults, thin kids become overweight adults…
It’s about teaching them good habits and allowing them to feel good inside their own skin, so they’ll care enough about themselves to make good choices. Making it all about how they look – and tying your “happiness” with them as their parent to how they look in clothes, or how big or small they are – is seriously messed up.
But at least you’re honest about how messed up you are. That’s something, I guess.
” don’t want my kids to look like that” and then insist “it is not about appearance”
I specifically said “look” because I feel that so many people are not noticing that she is overweight because she is so beautiful. Look at all the posts starting with “I think she is so beautiful but … “. What do her looks have to do with being overweight or not? I feel that she is getting a better treatment because she is beautiful. If she weren’t as striking there wouldn’t be a controversy because she wouldn’t be a celebrated model.
So, yes, I used the word “look” on purpose but it was a different purpose you inferred. I meant – I prefer my kids to not be overweight even if less beautiful.
“It’s about teaching them good habits and allowing them to feel good inside their own skin”
Agree, and that is what I attempt to do. I am teaching them good habits – not having a diet of only pizza and ice cream and knowing that you can’t eat 3 thousand calories a day and not gain weight. I am not teaching them about what to wear ( their choice) or what they are supposed to look like.
Ashley goes to t h e gym and works out.
Farhi,
You’re right. American’s do have an issue with being overweight but if you’re going to tackle the issue, you should continue to the many roots to this issue, one of them being what has been done to foods in the US. You should be aware that food companies have consciously put much more sugar in most foods and peoples bodies have been acting accordingly. So, unfortunately for us, a calorie is no longer a calorie in the traditional sense. There’s also the issue of access to certain foods and basic nutritional knowledge. This issue is not as straightforward as it seems. If you have the time and inclination, do some reading about the US food industry. It’s very sobering.
You are right. The corn syrup is the worst.
I think we had a discussion a few months back about it. Food and how it is made in the US is a big part of the obesity problem.
@Farhi: Applause !
I am from a european country and the sizes you are describing are the actual sizes for women. Eating properly is the key and the transmission to the kids is big we even have nutrition classes and green classes in elementary school. Its is not about criticizing people who are struggling with being overweighted , it’s about not glamorizing a risky behavior in term of health.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 50% of people in the WHO Euro Region are overweight, and more than a third are classified by BMI as obese.
So can we give the “Americans should be more like Europeans” thing a rest, already?
@Pk: sure… But in most these countries it’s ‘overweight’ not ‘obese’ … In mine (France) the sizes in clothing doesn’t even exist up to 12: not glamorization we treat as what it is, a problem !
And Europe is very very large area
I don’t know for other countries by in Line this girl is super fat!
Something must have changed in Russia, because that country’s a quarter obese.
My perception can be affected by the local trends, some areas have more overweight people than others. In Russia most overweight people are in rural areas and I am from a big city.
But, yes, there is also definitely more food and more unhealthy food in Russia now than when I was growing up and more overweight people. i looked at stats it said a decade ago there were 19% of obese people in Russia and now 23%.
Cheryl, when you’re in a hole, stop digging.
lol
I don’t aspire to have Ashley Graham’s body type, but if other people find her beautiful, I don’t get what the problem is. People have different tastes in beauty, and that’s fine. Tiegs seems upset people would dare to find this lady beautiful.
I hate to be that person, but I’m going to anyway. She is a professional model. So I will judge her on her profession-model. And I find her guilty of being hot and sexy. Court is adjourned.
Accept her deepest apology? Old woman, stfu! She’s doing what everyone else does when they haven’t seen their names anywhere. Talk shit then say “oh, I didn’t really mean it.”
I always say that if these people have enough balls to publicly talk trash, say it and stick by it. Don’t go on some lame ass “apology” tour, afterwards.
Until this story came out, I’d never heard of a Cheryl Tiegs.
I generally can’t stand all models – I think it’s way braver to be known more for your intellect than your looks – but I have to say Ashley Graham looks like a real woman, with real hips and boobs and is very beautiful. She looks like what real American women look like. Most women are not a size 0 and don’t starve themselves to look like models. And I have very little respect for these sticks who further the sexist fashion industry’s agenda against women, and aren’t brave enough to be who they really are.
If she’s so into health, how come she’s never spoken about the eating disorders that so many models develop due to the underweight dictatorship?
Exactly!!!
I live in Canada and honestly the first thing I notice when entering the USA is how fat the majority of the people are. The servings of food in restaurants are huge. If you visit Asian countries or Europe you don’t see the majority of people as being fat. Is it because you drive everywhere versus walking or biking? I’m not trying to be rude but it’s the truth. The USA has a lot of obese people compared to other countries I’ve visited.
That being said a magazine should be able to put whoever they want on the cover. My sister just went through a medical emergency and we were so worried about her because she only weighs 94 lbs. A person needs to be a healthy weight.
Yes, it’s true that there are a lot of overweight people in America, but why compare Graham to people who look like Fat Bastard? There is a huge difference. Also, Asians have a very unhealthy obsession with being thin, so I don’t think you should look to the Asian continent to see many examples of happy and healthy women. Many are genetically predisposed to thinness as opposed to blacks and whites, but there is a huge amount of pressure on women to look perfect, hence all of the plastic surgery there.
I once stood behind her in line at a movie theater and she kept trashing other womens’ looks. We were in line to see Bridget Jones and I heard her tell her friend that Renee Z. was homely, etc. The real Cheryl Tiegs is a mean girl. She’s trying to backtrack, now that she’s been outed.
Wow
She’s 5″9 and 200 pounds, this is what her model card says anyway. How is that okay?
That is obese or close to it anyway.
Here are some other people who are “obese or close to it”:
JJ Watt – BMI of 34.3
Rob Gronkowski – BMI of 30.6
Cam Newton – BMI of 29
Clay Matthews – BMI of 31.9
Russell Wilson – BMI of 28.7
BMI is bullshit. And citing five male professional football players, none of whom has much body fat, in comparison to Ashley Graham, who DOES have a lot of body fat, is ridiculous.
Jesus Christ. The entire point of my comment was that BMI is bullshit. Ang’s comment says that being 5’9 and 200 pounds isn’t okay with a high BMI as an implication.
These conversations make my head hurt. BMI is a bell curve. Like any bell curve, there are massive variations in what body sizes, heights, etc. appear in the world naturally. What is “healthy” for Cheryl is not “healthy” for Ashley. And it doesn’t matter if you think Ashley is obese or overweight or whatever. Health is more than a waist size – it’s a sum of things like finding work you love, having stability in your life, and resiliency, some good luck thrown in, and connection to your community, and activity, and genes, NOT BEING REALLY POOR, nutrition. It’s all those things.
The sooner we accept that Bodies can come in every shape and size, and that health is really complex and a sum of the above factors, the better off everyone will be.
Cheryl Tiegs can take ALL the seats.
This “I’m just concerned for health” is such a condescending cop-out. Many rail-thin models smoke cigarettes, many do harder drugs (both prescription and non-) to keep hunger at bay. Where’s the “concern” for them from this woman? Simply put, Cheryl Tiegs is offended at having to look at a larger woman in HER “skinny bitches only” space.
I hope to see more models like Ashley Graham. Modelling should be a space for all body types. The end.
Because when I want to know what’s healthy, I consult Dr. Oz. ahhhhshadddup.
Cheryl should really just STFU. She could have kept this bs apology.
she’s fat. that’s a fact. my body is very similar to hers and i also consider myself fat. i wish i wasn’t and i’m trying to remedy it. if she’s fine with her weight that’s fine as well. but just because she’s fine with it doesn’t man that she stops being fat. people need to understand that being open minded doesn’t mean having to ignore facts. as my new hero chris rock said at the oscars everything is not racist and everything is not sexist, and i’d like to add not everything is fatist.
Thank you ! I’m not sure what brought us to this point but we are such a hyper sensitive society. Every thing is inflammatory. its exhausting.
Dear Cheryl Tiegs, just admit youre a bitter cow and move on.
Cheryl Tiegs is a busted, dried up hag who looks like an old leather shoe that was left out in the sun. B**** put food in your mouth so we don’t have to listen to your bulls***.
Loved reading all these comments from both sides and how some of the posters came to get them. I just think eating actual food and not processed (even supposed healthy processed food) helps us be in the body that will take us into old age with our loved ones. Sure stuff happens that’s out of our control, but I’d rather not make excuses for my own bad choices, and just accept I’m a certain way bc that’s how I want to live. My choice. No excuses. No matter what size my jeans are.
I agree with you. But I recently started trying to make healthier choices in my eating and I am really shocked about how hard it is. If I don’t make everything from scratch, it is almost impossible to eat a truly healthy diet. I started while I was on vacation so it was great, and I felt great. But I work 60-70 hours a week, and I’m struggling to find healthy food I can buy.
I mean FFS, why is there so much added sugar and salt in tomato sauce?!?!?
I find that crockpots are a huge help for trying to balance working and cooking from scratch. Good luck!
I can also recognize that when my weight isn’t where I want into be that it is because of the choices I have made. Making your own sauce is easy and it freezes beautifully – perfect for taking out last minute when you need a quick dinner. I just crush whole tomatoes by hand and cook with olive oil, salt, and basil. You can add whatever spices you like. This way, you control the sugar and sodium content. Roasting tomatoes works really well too.
I agree. I purposely eat healthy and have been active my whole life as have my siblings, parents and children. So it was easy to keep it up as an adult and I married someone who is very athletic. Mainly I do this for my health to beat back genetic diseases that are prevalent in my family tree and most are weight related risk associated. Diabetes 2 and cancer to name the main culprits.
I don’t smoke, drink heavily, eat sugar or processed foods for the most part and limit saturated fat and chemicals.
Genetically thin is our body type but I know that alone won’t save me. I do like feeling like I’m doing all I can to stick around to be able to be with my family and friends for as long as possible.
That said looks shaming thin or larger helps no one and doesn’t lead to meaningful conversations about women and self esteem as it pertains to weight and looks.
@WTF imho I think focusing on how you feel when you eat good whole foods and really paying attention to how your body reacts is a better motivator than the mirror or scale. I feel sluggish and sleepy if I eat heavy fat laden foods and a few beers so I skip it. Be kind to you regardless and doing the best you can is all you can reasonably ask of yourself. Good luck either way.
I think that a lot of the outrage to Tiegs’ comments has to do with the fact that so many Americans are overweight. It’s easy to excuse a behavior when you exhibit the same behavior. Overeating isn’t healthy, and while Ashley is beautiful, she is clearly overweight. One doesn’t normally get to be overweight by eating all the right things, especially someone so young. As long as she is happy with herself, she should keep doing what she’s doing. I just don’t think that the outlook that “I’m overweight, but my tests are all fine” is a good one. You are still putting stress on your body over time and it will most likely catch up with you. My boyfriend is in great shape, muscular, but short. His BMI indicates that he is overweight and his doctor still told him he needed to lose a few pounds. My father has been in great shape for most of his life and gained some weight due to stress. He then had a heart attack. Sure, there were other contributing factors, but what you eat can hurt you if you aren’t careful even if your tests look good now.
Most of the planet is overweight. Check out the World Health Organization’s most recent statistics. Your “misery loves company” analysis of peoples’ motives in defending Ms. Graham is an offensive assumption.
People might actually think Ms. Graham has every right to look however she wants to look, and that it’s intrusive and cruel to say she doesn’t belong in or on a magazine because she’s
“too big.”
If anything, those offended by her should just come out and say “she’s fat and I don’t like looking at her fat body.” Dressing it up in “concern for her health” is such an obnoxious cop-out. When did it become okay for people to judge, berate, assume, finger-wag, tsk-tsk, lecture and admonish others, ad nauseum, in the guise of being “concerned” about them?
You say ” I just don’t think that the outlook that “I’m overweight, but my tests are all fine” is a good one.” But how else is someone supposed to respond when they’re constantly being told “I’M CONCERNED FOR YOUR HEALTH. BEING OVERWEIGHT ISN’T HEALTHY. I’M JUST SO CONCERNED ABOUT YOU”? To my mind, “I’m medically fine, thanks” is more polite than “mind your own damn business, please.”
Graham appearing on a magazine cover isn’t a “behavior,” anyway. I don’t know what she eats. I don’t know her exercise regimen, her genes, the results of her latest physical, what medical conditions she might have, any medication she might take, or what a doctor says or doesn’t say to her. And nobody else does either.
If she was skinny, starving herself, smoking like a chimney and snorting her weight in coke to get contracts and covers, nobody would say a word. All that “concern” would dry right up. That’s really, really sad.
Actually I would counter argue that if she were ridiculously skinny people would comment as such and then others would call them “skinny shamers” and haters. It’s a lose lose discussion really.
I was commenting on the overall health discussion and this model just happens to be the subject of the post. I don’t care what she eats, I’m not concerned about her health. She can eat herself into the grave if she wants to. I’m concerned that so many commenters seem to think that fat equals heathy. It does not. Don’t bury your head in the sand. I actually like that different body types are being represented in the magazine. Healthy or not, there are going to be overweight people in
the world and they should feel beautiful too. As you said, most of the planet is overweight which is really sad, it seems to be more true in the US, at least where I am from. Losing weight is hard. It takes a lot of discipline and will power.
Here is my thought: everyone carts weight differently, has different size bones, and different lean muscle mass. Looking at Ashley, she doesn’t have double or triple chins, she doesn’t have a big, flabby stomach. She very much looks like that is the body she is supposed to have. She doesn’t look unhealthy. On the other hand, Cheryl Tiegs is a much more slightly built person and if Ms. Tiegs has a 37 inch waist (which would be disproportionate to her frame), she may need to only be concerned with her own health.
Oh holy fv#*snacks, who cares what size she really is or isn’t? For that matter, who honestly cares whether or not she’s healthy? Really. If she disappeared tomorrow, who among those of you who concern-troll and argue that she’s unhealthy would actually care or be affected in any way? I’m guessing ZERO. So … what in the hell is the point of going on and on saying mean things about her very thinly veiled as “concern”? Just to feel better about your own weight? Your own health habits? Seriously smdh. If she’s happy with how she looks and she’s making money doing what she’s doing, how on earth is it anyone else’s business at all? Reading parts of this thread was almost as obnoxious as the Republican debate. She looks nice. Whether she’s healthy, overweight, obese or a size 12, 16, 18, 20 is simply nobody’s business but her own.
What strikes me is how I live in Australia, yet come across this as news – never thinking that a mere model and yesteryear entity like Tiegs would be in the news, but this has happened thanks to Dr Oz’ show. It says a lot about how culture has degenerated – when a former 70s model, and an average one at that, makes news for harping on about a plus sized model like she is some authority.
I bet that if anyone rummaged through Tiegs closet one will find many unhealthy indiscretions she engaged in. She should shut up.
Ashley is beautiful there is no doubt but she is a model and people are going to have opinions about her looks. But I don’t think saying thin models are sick and starving to defend Ashley is any different than saying Ashley overeats and never exercises. No one knows really why someone is the size they are without knowing them personally or them actually telling you.
Cheryl is a dolt and has always been a dolt suffering from foot in mouth and she used to wear one of those 70s cocaine spoon necklaces that were all the rage back in her day not to mention other things about her that are lacking. Therefore health advice and responsible role modeling behavior is not her strong suit. She should just shut it now.
In my opinion Ashley is not a signal for change at all seeing how SI has never been on the fore front of health or socially relevant issues pertaining to women. I actually think their swimsuit issue is played out like beauty pageants and is no longer as prestigious as it once was. I would be happy to see the whole thing go away forever. Not because of the lack of diversity across the board only but because I think it reinforces the idea of women as visual objects for male entertainment.
I have seen few topics appear on this website that have featured more people displaying confident assertion of their ignorance of medicine.
I’d also like to point out a few things:
-The BMI is not meant to be used as a end all measurement. It varies on build and it doesn’t always take into consideration fat vs muscle composition. In fact, it wasn’t even developed by modern medical professionals – it was created in the 1880s by Adolphe Quetelet as a guideline for his medical data. The ceiling for obesity was also lowered in 1998, which is part of why “overweight” classifications have increased. The WHO’s own guidelines vary by region and ethnic background.
-Studies on obesity vary dramatically on how serious a risk factor it really is, and external factors – genetics, environment, poverty – are more often part of a compounded problem. (Fun fact: one study found obesity lowered the risk of TB infection in some populations.). There is also a world of difference between obesity and MORBID obesity, the latter of which is a far more serious health concern.
-We are not at all certain at the full etiology of diabetes, whether Type I or II. In some cases, it is morbid obesity that undermines pancreatic function. In others, it’s congenital. Other people exhibit idiopathic pathology. Some very interesting studies link Type I to a possible autoimmune reaction to a childhood viral infection. The point being that pathology of any chronic disorder is often complex and rarely due to a single factor.
– If you don’t think faux concern attitudes like Cheryl’s are problematic, you need to read some of the emerging studies that reveal the growth of fat phobic culture is becoming prevalent even in hospitals. People are literally dying because their doctor is so busy focusing on their weight that they’re overlooking other symptoms that point to unrelated illness.
All of this boils down to the fact that obesity is a far more complicated issue than what you can derive from looking at a photograph of a model. Environment, genetic, wealth, etc. all have a serious effect on your health without even dragging weight into the picture. Insisting that it’s the sole factor for determining somebody’s health is just shortsighted if not outright detrimental.
Veronica: Amazingly informative — thank you so much!!
PREACH.
All this misplaced reliance on BMI has created an ill-informed societal monster.
BMI was conceived as a STATISTICAL tool, never a DIAGNOSTIC one. People who insist, based on height and weight, that Graham is obese – and therefore unhealthy – clearly don’t understand this.
Equally as important as the presence of body fat is the type and distribution of that fat (and sometimes, even more so, depending on a person’s genetic predisposition). It doesn’t distinguish between lean versus fatty mass, and can’t measure where the body’s fat deposits are located.
When you’re looking at health, this is crucial information to have – especially as it pertains to diabetes and heart disease. Looking at the patient, a person diagnosed by a physician as being obese has a high BMI. However, looking at a number on paper, a person with a high BMI isn’t necessarily – and quite often isn’t – obese.
Most people consider athletes paragons of health, especially the hard-training elites of a particular sport. They’re heroes and role models, with self-discipline to envy and physiques to aspire to. They’re also OBESE. On paper, every single one of them.
I remain convinced that “I’m so concerned for her health” is just a thinly disguised “ew, she’s fat and gross and I don’t want to look at her.”
Re fat phobia in hospitals. It’s the exact opposite in p c new Zealand. A medical professional is not allowed to tell a patient they are overweight and need to do something about it for better health outcomes. A midwife is not even allowed to weigh a pregnant woman. It’s utter madness. It’s the elephant in the room and a patient can lodge a formal complaint if they feel their feelings have been hurt.
That’s just ridiculous! I hope the NZ medical professionals can fight that.
It’s not even remotely true. Of course NZ midwives weigh pregnant patients. They have a government sponsored program of weighing all school children, for crying out loud.
To paraphrase: …i’m sorry but …….Blah, blah, blah, blah. ……..a forked tongued explanation not an apology. Hang it up Tiegs,
If Ashley Graham is such an advocate for overweight women being models, why is she lying about her waist size? Twenty-nine-inch waist? I don’t think so.
I find it interesting that Cheryl Tiegs says she’s concerned with heart disease, obesity and cancer yet she is known for smoking a couple packs of cigarettes a day. I wonder what Dr. Oz says about that.
Cripes, apparently she does not understand that it is not obesity that causes weight issues… Obesity is the result of health issues. However, I also take issue with anyone dictating how small someone’s waist size needs to be in order to be considered healthy. And Dr. Oz is a ridiculous moron. I take anything he says with a pound of salt… on the rare occasions I happen to hear him spew.
Given the things Cheryl Tiegs has put in her body over the past 30 years, she SHOULD be concerned about health. But nobody put those words in her mouth: she did that herself. And she should just stop. There’s a reason she was paid to pose, and not to speak.
Ashley, despite some of the concern trolls above, is a perfectly normal size. People are forgetting how much the camera adds, and I guarantee you if you saw her in person you’d think she was hot and voluptuous, not obese. As a size 16, I don’t think she qualifies for the term on a technical basis either. I mean, I’ve seen Calista Flockhart in the flesh and she’s so thin I thought she was a junkie until I recognized her.
That’s not the normal size. She is FAT. The camera doesn’t add 70 pounds! at size 16 she is fat, even for 5’9. If anybody comes across her IRL the person would meet a fat girl. In any capitals of the world she would be considered that. In France or Italy big cities she would be huuuuge.