America's new top model ...or top skeleton

[Jolt]

But.... you're fit and healthy. If you're a bag of bones who exercises and is healthy, then it's OK. Just those bag of bones who are sooo unhealthy that we're referring to (although maybe you feel you're being lumped in that category- which is a shame).

And a healthy skinny person usually doesn't look like the aforementioned unhealthy type. I'm on the skinnier side as well but have never had anyone think that I have an eating disorder (at least no one that I know of). The same is likely the case for you.

[CR400]

You know in a way this is so ironic. We participate in a sport where usually the thinnest person wins the race up the 3 mile hill. Where if you weigh more then 115 pounds you are going to get dropped on any climb by all the other small ladies. Which are by the way healthy for there weight usually altough most of us will never see 12 to15% body fat. Ladies we participat in an anorexic producing sport everytime we get on our bikes.
It just some of us will never be the 105 5'3 elite hill climber. Its just as bad for the men I have a friend who looks great at 190 pounds 6'1 (almost to thin sometimes) but he wants to weigh 175 pounds so he has a better chance climbing. He is already super fast but can't beat the cycling ideal up a hill 5'10 and 150 or less.
So hay put that woman on a bike for a few months she'll put on a little muscle in her legs and likely beat most of us up that 3 mile climb because she has us beat power to weight.

[michelem]

Hmmm . . . CR400 . . . true to an extent, but she's going to have to fuel/refuel herself properly in order to build that muscle and endurance necessary to support her cycling! And, who knows, maybe she does (we don't know the particulars about this "Top Model" - whether she is "naturally" thin or starves herself or whatnot). I'm just pointing out that in order to really succeed at this sport, it is largely dependant on how well one cares for oneself (food, water, rest, etc.) in addition to training. Big, small, doesn't matter if you're not caring for yourself in a healthful manner. The big (heavier) guys were blowing me away this past Saturday 'cause I didn't hydrate/fuel properly . . .

[Jolt]

And then there are those of us who ARE about that 5'3", 105 lb. size (well, actually an inch shorter) but STILL stink at hills...size isn't everything, not by a long shot. I think probably most people on this forum would drop me on a climb, even if they're heavier!

[greentea]

I can relate to how Silver feels about the thread.

I'm 5'5" and 111 lbs (used to weigh less before having 2 kids). I constantly get comments about how skinny I am (since I was 8), good intention or not. Some even say it with a "you must have a problem" undertone. I eat LOTS and have no medical problem. It's just how I was born.

From my point of view, I don't comment on people's weight, hips, thighs or whatever body parts that I get commented on. But what makes it right to comment on a skinny person? You wouldn't say to an overweight person "Oh, you're so big", right? Or would you post a pic of an overweight person and say how horrible it is?

I totally understand where the OP is coming from, just offering a different POV.

[silver]

I can relate to how Silver feels about the thread.

I'm 5'5" and 111 lbs (used to weigh less before having 2 kids). I constantly get comments about how skinny I am (since I was 8), good intention or not. Some even say it with a "you must have a problem" undertone. I eat LOTS and have no medical problem. It's just how I was born.

From my point of view, I don't comment on people's weight, hips, thighs or whatever body parts that I get commented on. But what makes it right to comment on a skinny person? You wouldn't say to an overweight person "Oh, you're so big", right? Or would you post a pic of an overweight person and say how horrible it is?

I totally understand where the OP is coming from, just offering a different POV.

that's what I was trying to say. thank you.

[7rider]

that's what I was trying to say. thank you.

I think the issue isn't so much that folks feel bony is ugly, but just that by choosing such a body-type as "America's Top Model" - it perpetuates the belief that that particular body-type is the ideal for beauty - and therefore, anything else is not desireable. THAT is what F's up young girl's heads. That is what (at least to start) was/is the gripe of so many who cannot achieve that body.

And...take a look at who's responding here. You've got 2 naturally skinny people here versus umpteen folks who do not meet that ideal - and never will without extreme starvation and sacrifice. Sure, you can be healthy and skinny. You can also be fat and healthy. Why does culture never focus on the healthy and only on the skinny??

[michelem]

"Ithink that many people are making a lot of assumptions about that woman because of her body type...., you assume just because that woman is thin she has an unhealthy lifestyle!"

Eden, I agree, and that's why I said, "we don't know the particulars about this "Top Model" - whether she is "naturally" thin or starves herself or whatnot." Let's all focus on being the healthiest we can be for each of us individually, no matter the number on the scale! Eat right, train rest, rest right!

[teigyr]

I think so much is predetermined. I know we can make the most of what we have but I know thin people who are just that way...but are also flabby because they don't work out. You don't see it, of course, but they have no muscle. I also know bigger people who are all muscle and are very healthy.

I will never be thin, my frame just isn't that way. I can go to lower body fat and exercise, etc., and that is good but if I compared myself to "thin" people, I'd be pert near suicidal.

I guess what offends me is a set opinion about what's attractive and I do believe the media perpetuates some horrible stereotypes. I have a lot of theories about it but until people refuse to support it, it will continue. If you ever want a horrible education, read a "mens" magazine. Even though an intelligent male will see through a lot of it (like an intelligent woman reading Cosmo), I think it stays in the subconscious and is also damaging to people in their formative years. Just my .02 though, I tend to have a lot of strong opinions on the subject.

[HappyAnika]

You know in a way this is so ironic. We participate in a sport where usually the thinnest person wins the race up the 3 mile hill. . . . Ladies we participat in an anorexic producing sport everytime we get on our bikes. . . .So hay put that woman on a bike for a few months she'll put on a little muscle in her legs and likely beat most of us up that 3 mile climb because she has us beat power to weight.

But not all of us race. Some (most?) of us just ride for fun and fitness, and because I enjoy riding my bike and it adds to a healthy lifestyle, I say I win over the model (even though I wear a size 12). And like what michelem said, she's not going to be able to climb very far when all she ingests is vodka, celery, coffee, and cigarettes.

My athletic friend said to me recently, she's proud of the fact that due to genetics, she's capable of carrying herself over far distances for long periods of time on very little fuel. Her ancestors were survivors. She's proud of her strong heritage, and to be strong herself.

The last time I was getting my hair done, I picked up some fashion magazine and was shocked at the numbers of skinny unhealthy women in the pages. It sort of made me feel chunky and ugly. Then I thought about how I used to read Seventeen and Vogue when I was a teenager and wondered if I might have been happier with a higher self esteem at that age had I not read those magazines. Bleh! Looking around the room and seeing the normal people in the salon snapped me out of it and reminded me there's nothing wrong with me. I won't be looking at that sort of magazine again anytime soon, if ever.

And for the record, I don't think seeing someone's ribs is attractive, on either a woman or a man.

[Eden]

But not all of us race. Some (most?) of us just ride for fun and fitness, and because I enjoy riding my bike and it adds to a healthy lifestyle, I say I win over the model (even though I wear a size 12). And like what michelem said, she's not going to be able to climb very far when all she ingests is vodka, celery, coffee, and cigarettes.

I must say I'm with Silver and GreenTea about this thread. It is a bit disturbing how many people think that it is OK to comment/criticize about body type if the person is small/thin. I think that many people are making a lot of assumptions about that woman because of her body type...., you assume just because that woman is thin she has an unhealthy lifestyle! How is that any better than assuming that all larger people are sedentary and eat fried foods all of the time.

[HappyAnika]

I think that many people are making a lot of assumptions about that woman because of her body type...., you assume just because that woman is thin she has an unhealthy lifestyle! How is that any better than assuming that all larger people are sedentary and eat fried foods all of the time.

Good point. Yes, its entirely true that I assume she leads an unhealthy lifestyle, just based on the stereo type that models are generally unhealthy. If I saw her in, say, a sporting goods catalogue in a running outfit, I'd assume she was a very fit elite runner, and would not be tempted to criticizer her for being too thin. So I suppose that's all about the context.

But it still upsets me that magaznies, movies, tv, etc. perpetuate the notion that a woman is only beautiful if she is really thin.

I think what Greentea said, about not posting a pic of an overweight person and saying how horrible that is, that's somewhat beside the point since we don't have the media sending messages that we should be that way. Does that make sense? I don't feel like I'm doing a good job of making my point. Basically its frustrating that much of society has been brainwashed into thinking that to be beautiful, pretty, and admired, one must weigh a very low weight that many of us can't/don't want to achieve. We are who we are, and I think that anyone of any size who makes an effort at a healthier lifestyle should be admired.