Is size 14 the new "Perfect" size for women?

I came across an article on Msn.co.uk, it peaked my interest, because apparently being a size 14 is the new trend. However, as we all know, trends come and go, so I wonder how long will a size 14 will be the new "it" size. The article has two arguments, one argument says being a 14 won't make you happy, and the counter argument says why being a size 14 is fabulous. So I've summed up both arguments and here they are :




Why being a size 14 won't make you happy


" This size 14 survey should be filed with the rest - in the rubbish bin. The road to happiness does not come with being a size 14. Contentment does not come with dress size, it never has done. As long as you're in the medically acceptable weight range for your height and bone structure, that is what is most important. I was a size 14 once and a photograph of me at this weight caused Lorraine Kelly to exclaim live on GMTV :


'You're not yourself there, are you?'


That was because, I was on the air to talk about how I had been seriously ill with a thyroid problem - and my weight had ballooned and overwhelmed my 5ft 3in, small-boned frame. During my size 14 phase I was lethargic, depressed, and unhealthy. When I got my physical condition back on track, my state of mind improved immeasurably. The smile returned to my face - at a size eight.

Imogen Lloyd Webber at size 8

Everybody is different. Being to curvy for your frame is as bad for your health as being too thin. America spent $147 billion on health related problems of overweight Americans last year. Some of those will have been petite women who were a size 14 and too big for their bone structure.


Contentment comes from exercising. Getting that heart rate up a few times a week and also walking as much as possible so that you are fit to conquer everyday life. Exercise provides a natural feel-good high, as well as the figure-related benefits. Of course, nobody is advocating spending every waking hour in the gym, everything is best in moderation. " - Imogen Lloyd Webber


Click here for full article : Why being a size 14 won't make you happy




Why size 14 is fabulous!


" Special K has announced that the happiest women in the country are, in fact, a size 14. These women are most satisfied with their jobs, friends, and family - and most significantly their appearance.


I'm not hugely surprised to be honest, but I'm certainly happy to hear it. Having worked in the fashion industry since the day I left university, and now living in the land of physical perfection (Los Angeles), I've watched friends and colleagues develop ridiculous, negative attitudes to food, weight, and body image. In Los Angeles, it's all about the latest fad diet, weird and wonderful fitness regimes and comparing oneself to unfathomably skinny celebrities. Everyday becomes an obsessive calorie count, which ends with each person feeling like crap about themselves, because they will never be thin, tanned or toned enough, no matter how much effort they put in.

Louise Roe

It's not about going nuts and overindulging all the time, it's about society starting to realise that there has to be a balance.  Women are actually happier if the image projected from fashion magazines, red carpets and TV shows is a healthier, curvier one. The media needs to realise that women DO take those images as a cue, as an impression to follow, and that there's a huge responsibility on their shoulders to support a normal body image.


Mad Men's, Christina Hendricks 'Jessica Rabbit' curves are making huge waves on the red carpet, British designer Mark Fast sent size 14's down the runway at London's last Fashion Week, while Marc Jacobs is planning a plus-size line to add to his collection.


Take heed from these positive messages from role models and trendsetters, and before you start that crash-diet in time for the summer holidays, or before you look in the mirror and decide that you must lose five pounds, just give yourself a break, and think twice. In the words of  plus-size supermodel, Crystal Renn :


'Beauty? It's not a pant size.'


It's much better to relax and have a good time, this is your life, so you might as well live it." - Louise Roe






Click here for the full article : Why a size 14 is Fabulous!


Article courtesy of Msn.co.uk








My Response :


Both women have interesting views, and I agree with both of them.


I agree with Imogen, in regards to moderation, I believe everything is better in moderation, indulge once in a while, just don't go over board. She also has a fair point, in regards to weight vs body frame, if a petite woman was overweight and at a size 14 there would obviously be health risks and concerns, but if that woman was happy with how she is, who is anyone to tell her otherwise? Imogen's strongest argument, is moderation, and her main focus was on women who were petite, she didn't mention anything about women who were average height or beyond average height, so I would say her argument is biased, as she is a petite woman who was a size 14, she is basing her argument off of her own personal experience. As she rightly said, everyone is different, so just because she was unhappy at a size 14, doesn't mean all petite women will be.


I agree with Louise in her belief that you should be happy with who you are, it's your life and you have the right to live how you please. Her main argument is to be happy with yourself, but to also take care of yourself. She works in the fashion industry so she has first hand experience, of how harsh the fashion world can be. I also agree that the media has a responsibility to promote a healthier body image, as they dictate what is the latest trends, news, and fashion. I think the media has put so much pressure on women, to become something that is unattainable, which in result damages a woman's self-esteem and body image.


I personally believe in healthiness at any size, as long as you eat right, and try to exercise regularly, then don't allow your size to dictate your happiness, whether you're below or above a size 14. Life is much more than our dress size, and life is too short to constantly fret about how much you weigh or what size you are, let go and live life!

Your thoughts?