ANTM Weight and Body Issues Thread

[bucwild]

This a thread I decided to start because Whitney's win and comments about skinny girls and a being a plus size girl in the fashion industry has sparked a debate about weight and body issues. Is skinny really perfect? Is Jaslene anorexic? Should Saleisha really have check her thighs in the mirror? Are plus- sized models discriminated in the fashion industry? Well this is the thread for the debate to begin. As long as we are civil and respectful of other peoples points of view the mods shouldn't lock this thread.

[GuruBishisama]

Thanks for starting this, bucwild. Whitney's thread was definitely not the place to discuss this.

I personally feel that it's a truth in society that skinny people get prefererential treatment--especially in the fashion industry. I am personally of the opinion that a number of different body types are attractive, and what's most important is health.

A number of the girls on Australia's Next Top Model, for example, are tall and quite thin, but a lot of the girls are very unhealthy--they eat whatever they want and don't exercise at all. Their bodies are naturally thin, which is fine--yet they still aren't conducting themselves in a healthy manner.

On ANTM, I don't think there was ever any evidence to show an ultra-skinny contestant had an eating disorder. If anything, the only two we know had an eating disorder during the show, Allison and Cassie, didn't look nearly as skinny as Jaslene or Fatima.

And lastly, Whitney is not fat. A lot of my female friends have similar body types to hers, and I'd never even think of them as plus sized--it's not until you put things in the context of the fashion industry that they even become big.

And one last thing--I'd like to suggest that this thread become a place to discuss all of the modeling industry's debatable stances. During C9, there was a big argument in the Jenah thread about girls under 18 working as fashion models, and I think it's a topic that deserves to be discussed as well.

[Dax]

On ANTM, I don't think there was ever any evidence to show an ultra-skinny contestant had an eating disorder. If anything, the only two we know had an eating disorder during the show, Allison and Cassie, didn't look nearly as skinny as Jaslene or Fatima.

I don't know if it counts but in the casting of Cycle 3 there was a girl that Tyra rejected for being extremely skinny. Apparently she was naturally like that but Tyra felt she was sending a wrong message and didn't choose her. I remember she had a problem with Eva. Having an eating disorder was questioned.

[shizuka]

I tried to say it in Whitney's post, but nobody really listened.

I think America's next top model, this year, just wanted to get it over and done with the plus sized thing. So, a plus-sized girl wins (when we know she didn't have the best capacities... Had she been skinny, she would have been eliminated very early on!), they're okay for another 10 seasons.

But what i want to point out is: Is Whitney really a plus-sized? Just look at those pictures of her.

"Juicy Booty"? Are you kidding me?
Like Fatima said, that's sending out the wrong message, Tyra.

[Marleybone]

Those pictures have already been posted and discussed in her thread.

[ko0la1d]

I tried to say it in Whitney's post, but nobody really listened.

I think America's next top model, this year, just wanted to get it over and done with the plus sized thing. So, a plus-sized girl wins (when we know she didn't have the best capacities... Had she been skinny, she would have been eliminated very early on!), they're okay for another 10 seasons.

But what i want to point out is: Is Whitney really a plus-sized? Just look at those pictures of her.

"Juicy Booty"? Are you kidding me?
Like Fatima said, that's sending out the wrong message, Tyra.

Firstly, I think she's gained weight since those images. But I do agree to the extent of, that the producers were probably pressured to propagate healthy, womanly body image and a message to the American public but in my opinion, Whitney's lackluster performance in the competition following the "Scandaleisha" of cycle 9 only further actualize the theory of an ANTM conspiracy - the show is most definitely RIGGED, to satisfy the reality-television viewing masses ("c'mon, if Anya won it would've been too obvious" the producers probably thought!-- but keeping Whitney that long is all a little too suspicious). Technically speaking, Elyse is the only contestant close to being an actual Top Model.

In regards to body image in the fashion industry, it has opened up to a minuscule extent! They have Crystal Renn, but what ever happened to her? One Gaultier show and a few spreads in French and Italian Vogue, but I haven't really heard of her or any plus-sizes since! Crystal Renn has definitely defied odds, but maybe she did all she could do? Who knows? This industry is very shady; they only want the best models to make the best money.

More on a TRUE Plus-size Top Model: Tales of a Model: Crystal Renn

[infinite]

Is skinny really perfect?

yes, in my opinion, it is.

partially because i've been thin all my life.
a lot of people are born anywhere from 4-12
lbs, but it's how you manage yourself after
that. i'm only a couple of inches shorter than
fatima. i know i weigh less than her, & i'm a
guy. i think it's how people around you treat
you, and with me, i've been criticized several
times for not being able to gain. so i can
completely understand why whitney is proud
of herself and her cause. i would be too, if
people who can't gain weight would look up
to me and i could stand up and say "you don't
have to be thick & voluptuous to be appealing."
as far as the industry, you have to be just right.
i think it's more of people and media that don't
like "too skinny" and it's designers and clients
that don't like "too big". if you're in the middle,
as tyra said with sarah c9, you have no place.

[RealityLovesMe]

I don't know if this thread will be shut down or not, but I hope it stays open.

Here is a history of eating disorders and weight on ANTM:

Cycle one
Eating Disorders: Elyse is accused of having an eating disorder. She denies it.
Plus Size: Robin
Weight Issues: Yoanna is criticized for her weight (too big), Elyse is criticized for her eating habits and weight (too small), and Tyra comments that she has tried to increase the size of the ideal model by including contestants like Kesse.
Other notes: Contestants were weighed
Cycle two
Eating Disorders:Camille accuses Yoanna of having an eating disorder, which shocks and offends Yoanna.
Plus-Size: Anna
Weight Issues: Yoanna struggles with her body weight. Bethany is criticized because her larger bust is too sexy for high fashion.
Other notes: Yoanna appears to have lost the weight after winning. Anna lost weight and started to work as a regular-size model.

Cycle three
Eating Disorders: Plus-size model Kate Dillon appears and talks about an eating disorder that she once had. Cassie has an eating disorder.
Plus-Size: Toccara
Weight Issues: Toccara loses her spunk as she is unable to fit into the designer's clothes.
Other notes: Toccara appeared on "Celebrity Fit Club" twice and defended her plus-size frame both times. Tyra has a heart-to-heart with her mother about eliminating Cassie without being able to help with her ED.

Cycle four
Eating Disorders: N/A
Plus-Size: Brita is not considered plus, but is noticeably bigger than the other models.
Weight Issues: Keenyah struggles with weight gain and cannot seem to control her appetite even when the judges mention dieting tips at panel.
Other notes: Keenyah is chosen to portray gluttony and an elephant in two photo shoots.

Cycle Five
Eating Disorders: N/A
Plus-Size: Diane
Weight Issues: Lisa and Coryn argue about Coryn's exercise habits. Lisa feels that Coryn's body is too toned and thinks she needs to stop exercising. Coryn disagrees (despite comments from the judges).
Other notes: This is the second time the largest contestant (Diane) has been eliminated because of her personality.

Cycle six
Eating Disorders: N/A
Plus-Size: Kari was the largest model, but she was not considered plus-size.
Weight Issues: N/A
Other notes: Furonda is quite thin.

Cycle seven:
Eating Disorders: In the first photo shoot, Michelle portrays a bulimic model while Amanda portrays an anorexic model.
Plus-Size: Anchal is the largest girl, but she was not considered plus-size
Weight Issues: Anchal struggles with weight gain and self-esteem.
Other notes: Twiggy makes an misguided comment about Jaeda's body being too muscular sometimes (a six pack was airbrushed on Jaeda's stomch).

Cycle 8
Eating Disorders: N/A
Plus-size: Whitney and Diana
Weight Issues: Diana and Whitney find strength in numbers, but are not able to present their bodies well enough in photos.
Other notes: Jaslene has a very slight frame.

Cycle 9
Eating Disorders: Heather faints because she didn't eat that day, but this was not an eating disorder.
Plus-size: Sarah, although many thought Mila was also plus-size before the cycle aired. Mr. Jay calls Sarah a "real-size" model because she is too small to be plus.
Weight Issues: Sarah loses weight and the judges are not happy about that. Heather says that the medication she takes for her ADHD and/or autism cause her to be thin. Bianca tells Saleisha that she has large thighs.
Other notes: Sarah is eliminated partly because of her weight loss and partly because of her personality and self-esteem.

Cycle 10
Eating Disorders: Allison
Plus-size: Whitney
Weight Issues: One of the designers in the go-see challenge says Fatima is too small to fit her clothes. Whitney is also discriminated against because of her size. Stacy Ann calls Whitney fat. Fatima tells Allison that she has a large butt, but Allison and Amis disagree. Allison is shown measuring her waist. Dominique has dimples in her rear.
Other notes: Despite facing many obstacles, Whitney does not let her size affect her performance.

[Marleybone]

I don't know if this thread will be shut down or not, but I hope it stays open.

No, it's a good thread. It's an important topic for discussion, so the thread stays as long as there is no arguing.

Thanks for making a list of all the weight issues from each cycle.

[hepcat]

Other notes: Keenyah is chosen to portray gluttony and an elephant in two photo shoots.

I'd forgotten that.

Elyse also fainted, didn't she? Or was that someone else? I know Elyse says she doesn't have an ED and lord knows her blog is all about food, but seeing her eat oatmeal at a pizza parlor really looked like a model trying not to gain weight.