Strollerderby

Yes yes yes! I applaud women and mothers like you who stand up for girls. For those of us lucky enough to grow up with mamas who fiercely fought back against the body bullshit, I know it makes a difference.

Sigh... how the hell are the wife and I supposed to raise our twin daughters properly with this kind of crap. Size 6 only... give me a break. I really wish a strong wind would come and blow Ms. Moss away.

You go Sarah!

Is it really Kate Moss's fault?  I don't think so.  I place the blame on those people that let their children watch the shows, buy the magazines, wear the clothes etc...

There's a marvelous little word we use in our house that prevents that kind of thing. We call it "no".  My daughter asks for something, I think it's inappropriate. I trot out good old trustworthy "no". She gets caught going against my wishes at a friends house...as kids can do....she spends a week thinking about it, alone, in her room...no television, no stereo, no computer, no phone, no MP3 player. Wow, I'm mean.  

My daughter doesn't own designer anything. She doesn't have a cell phone that costs more than a car payment.  If she wants expensive anything, she has to earn it.  

Oh...and I tell her that she isn't allowed to read the trash that is popular media.  That it's bullshit.  I tell her that. Me...her mom. I don't wait for the people pushing the crap to do it.  

So, if that's the message here...I say good for you.  

Ok, first things first.  I agree that the emphasis on paper-thin models in advertising is no good for girls.  And that as parents its our job to keep those messages out of the house as much as possible.

But now let me air my contrarian side.  I'm equally disturbed at another trend in American society in recent years: the growing prevalence of overweight and obesity among children & teenagers, and - pay attention here - the growing *acceptance* of overweight among children.  The message "nobody could possibly be as thin as those models" has become "real women have curves", has become "it's normal to be overweight."

Example:  Size inflation in clothing.  I'm a thin but healthy 5'6" 110 lbs.  In 1990, my Gap jeans were size 6.  Then it was 4, then 2... The last pair of pants I bought at Old Navy were a size 1!  Ridiculous!  I'm not getting any smaller, but the "norm" has gotten so much larger that a slender woman falls right off the bottom of the size charts.  And don't even get me started about trying to find a swimsuit I'm not swimming in.

Statistics show that more and more girls are overweight.  What do I hear from my college students about it?  That it's all the media's fault for showing too many thin people.  *sigh*

 5'6 and 110 lbs is not, not, not thin!  It's skinny!  Skinny!  When I was in 6th grade I weighed 110 and I was five' one!  Everyone made fun of me because I was skinny!  Do you know why?  Because my bones stuck out and I was completely flat chested, even for a 6th grader.  I wore a 2 from the gap and that was in 1989 so size inflation isn't that out of control.  I wore tights under my jeans all the time so I wasn't so little.  Of course now I'm not hardly a size 2, but if I was I'd look gross.  Gross.  Of course I don't like how kids are so fat these days, but the thing is you don't even have to be "fat" to be considered "fat" anymore.  Weighing 140 lbs and being 5'6 is super healthy and you look good.  Being a ten or even an eight is considered big by designers these days, but in real life that's slim.  

Renee, I totally see your point. Obesity is out of control in America, and things like the changing of sizes to make those on the higher end of the scale feel "better" is a reality. I think some of tm's comments were out of line. It is possible to be your size and look good and not "skinny". I'm 5'4" and 110 and I constantly hear about how tiny I am. I'm tiny because my mom was tiny--she had 6 kids and weighed 115.

Why should you--or me, or anyone--have to feel bad about how we look?

It's all about being healthy, not being a number on a tag. Someone could be my height and 25 pounds heavier, and if they exercise every day, they're going to be healthier than I am. We need to be kinder to each other, and try to be as healthy as possible.

And Kate Moss is a stupid coke whore. Who cares what she does? She's really and truly irrelevant in my opinion.

Ooh, girl, tell it!

People come in all sizes and shapes.  

Whether you are fat or skinny, what makes you human is what's inside.  That is really what counts.  

Too bad we can't embrace the people we are instead of looking at what's on the outside all the time.

Some of the ugliest people I have ever met are considered beautiful on the outside.

And btw, I'm large.  And in great shape.

Go figure.

"And Kate Moss is a stupid coke whore. Who cares what she does? She's really and truly irrelevant in my opinion."

YES.

A few things:

Kate Moss is a straw person here - we are blaming her for what was likely an executive decision made by others.

If I choose to wear the line of clothing (and yes, I am less than a size 6, and for you posters who think this is an affront to humanity, and that my organs are going to malfunction, you probably don't realize how ridiculously insulting and misinformed you sound) then I am going to wear the clothing because it makes me feel good.  Isn't that the goal?  Feeling good about ourselves?

The "you must have an eating disorder" argument thrown at thin women is just as harmful to one's psyche as insulting someone because they are fat.  Frankly, many of my heavier friends' eating habits are considerably more "disordered" than they would like to admit - but because we assume that women with eating disorders must look like Kate Moss, heavier people get a pass...and diabetes.  

Wise up folks.

Hold on JM -

I am not saying that people who wear a size 6 have eating disorders. I am saying KATE MOSS is too thin and she is not a healthy role model for our children. I have no problem with regular healthy people who wear small sizes, I am just offended that the clothing line stops at a size 6.

I am 5' 9" and the last time I was underweight (and I looked sick) I wore a size 8.

I agree being overweight is a problem too. I am not saying people should be fat either. I think that we should encourage healthy and not skinny, those are two very different things.

You would have to double check this but I'm pretty sure the size 6 that the line refers to is a European size six - not the same as American sizing. Just a thought...

A UK size 6 is a US 4 or 5.

I am on your side.  I have not been a size 6 since high school.  I don't know if you realize sizes have changed 3 or 4 times in just my lifetime.  They keep making them smaller so we don't think we are getting bigger and bigger.  However, I do not like people who perpetuate very thin.  It is just creepy.

I have another comment...Can't we just focus on healthy instead of size?  If we all just turned out attentions to health and a little exercise instead of what size you are, it would be a better world.  There are entire towns out there trying to teach kids and their parents how to be healthy.  Most of you know how.  We need to pass on the information to the communities because that is how we will win over obesity.

My Mom spent her whole life on one diet or another.  Never on a healthy lifestyle, just starving.  What did I learn?  I did not learn to be thin, that's for sure.  I am trying to exercise and teach myself to be healthy.  I am really working on it too.

In that case, I take it back!

"And Kate Moss is a stupid coke whore. Who cares what she does? She's really and truly irrelevant in my opinion."

YEP.

This is a very touchy subject for me because like TM I was taunted in school for being thin.  But like many others, I feel great about my size. (5'8 and 115lbs (when I am not pregnant))

I eat super healthy, I went to the gym three days a week and really enjoyed a high impact workout.  I may have looked too thin too some, but I know I was healthier than most, and also most definately did/do not have an eating disorder.

I think like JM said, we are blaming her for what executives decided to do with her name.  Don't forget that Kate Moss has been a waif since birth. I remem,ber being 14 years old (15 years ago) and not once thinking she had and E/D because I myself was not far from her weight class.

I won't get on the topic of obesity, since it was not mentioned in anything but the comments but weight is a two way street and eating disorders also work both ways.

The clothing industry in of itself needs to be reworked from an ethical standpoint.  That I doubt will ever happen though.  Until then, all we can do is ignore people who reaklly don't matter in our daily lives (like a coked out Miss Moss) and the companies that perpetuate the images and instead live our lives and teach our children the healthy way to look at yourself and healthy choices for both our bodies and minds.

just my $0.02

I just hate women's clothing sizes in general.  I'm an hourglass, so my hips are a size 16 and my waist is more like a 12.  If I buy to fit my waist, the pants won't ever even get near it.  So I buy to fit my hips and then I have a baggy waist and look like a hobo.  And then the legs are too short and I've got floods.

Same thing with tops - I have a long torso, long arms, and broad shoulders, so most women's tops do not work for me.  I end up busting out of the back like the Incredible Hulk, so I tend to wear a lot of t-shirts and things that give, like knits.

My husband wonders why I hate to shop and will gladly wear the same jeans and t-shirts for 10 years.

When I do shop, for jeans, especially, I will usually buy men's jeans because they [gasp] come in a range of sizes for waist and inseam!  It's a miracle!

One thing I truly, truly do not understand is why "fashion" does not cater to the average-sized woman.  Yeah yeah, I know they're selling an "ideal" but if the average American woman is a 12 or a 14 or whatever, wouldn't a designer make even MORE money by making clothes to fit this size?

I'm going to get out my sewing machine and avoid this whole mess.

I just hate women's clothing sizes in general.  I'm an hourglass, so my hips are a size 16 and my waist is more like a 12.  If I buy to fit my waist, the pants won't ever even get near it.  So I buy to fit my hips and then I have a baggy waist and look like a hobo.  And then the legs are too short and I've got floods.

Same thing with tops - I have a long torso, long arms, and broad shoulders, so most women's tops do not work for me.  I end up busting out of the back like the Incredible Hulk, so I tend to wear a lot of t-shirts and things that give, like knits.

My husband wonders why I hate to shop and will gladly wear the same jeans and t-shirts for 10 years.

When I do shop, for jeans, especially, I will usually buy men's jeans because they [gasp] come in a range of sizes for waist and inseam!  It's a miracle!

One thing I truly, truly do not understand is why "fashion" does not cater to the average-sized woman.  Yeah yeah, I know they're selling an "ideal" but if the average American woman is a 12 or a 14 or whatever, wouldn't a designer make even MORE money by making clothes to fit this size?

I'm going to get out my sewing machine and avoid this whole mess.

I just talked to a woman who verified this with Barneys and she said that the clothes will also be available in a size 8.

It's better, but still offensive. What if you are tall?

You know what sucks?  I eat very healthy (and very rarely overeat), jog/run four or five times a week 3-5 miles at a time.  My blood pressure and all the other "vitals" are superb.  BUT, I am five foot seven and weigh 160 pounds.  I can't seem to weigh less.  Before my first baby I hovered around 150 and after four kids I am stuck at 160.  And, to be perfectly honest, I am jealous as all hell of the willowy women who are 5 foot eight, 115 pounds or whatever.  What makes me miserable is that people who look at my size 12 butt may just assume I am lazy and irresponsible or have "let myself go."  (None of which is accurate.)  I drew lousy cards, I guess.  Oh well.  Kate Moss and her ilk don't help matters much!

So I agree that health is paramount, but image is important too and it does bother me (unfortunately) that I don't look as good as I feel.

You tell her Sarah!!

It's ridiculous.  

Er, it went up to a UK size 16 in this country. I don't understand why they'd only release two sizes in the US when they released it from an 8 to a 16 here.

I doubt I could get my elbow in a size six, let alone one of my breasts.

Nice post, but it's not true. Kate Moss's new clothes range goes up to a size 16 UK, which is a size 12/14 in the US.

Lily Allen is adorable. I love her uniquely British blend of tough-but-tender-girl-ska-pop. At 22 years

Keep your eyes peeled for Tween People : according to the NY Times, 8- to 12-year-old girls are getting

Sigh. So far this Weekly Check-Up feature has been almost wholly devoted to weight loss and exercise-- yours and your kids (she says wearily.) And trust me, I'm totally down with a healthy, active life, and I completely get the hundred thousand reasons