America's Next Top Model crowns its first plus size model

[Ammer]

America's Next Top Model has crowned its latest winner of the series, Whitney, a plus size model,



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First off, let me just say that I am thrilled Whitney won. Not only were here pictures great, but her runway was amazing! I think Anya (the runner up) did amazing throughout the competition with her photo shoots but she really disappointed me with her runway walk.

I'm just glad Whitney won as she's the first plus size model (even though I see nothing "plus" about her) to win America's Next Top Model!

[Rachel]

I'm afraid that i have to take issue with their definition of "plus sized". If she's plus sized then i'm morbidly obese!

[Pink]

I'm afraid that i have to take issue with their definition of "plus sized". If she's plus sized then i'm morbidly obese!

That's precisely what I was thinking...what is the world coming to when someone as small as she is is defined as "plus-sized?" It's obscene. I feel disgusted right now...

[_mash_]

Oh, I was totally excited for her. And you picked my fave photo she took. There were times I thought she looked very pagent girl, but she turned out to be very versatile. As far as the Covergirl Ad photo, Whitney's definitely blew the others out of the water.

[Regan]

I don't think she should have one, regardless of her size.
However, it's nice to see that her "full figuredness" didn't get in her way of winning this competition.

[Susannahmio]

As much as I like Whitney, I think Anya should have won. She takes better pictures with much less criticism from the panel. Whitney has been in the bottom quite a few times while Anya has never been. Yes, Whitney did better in the runway but have they forgotten the number of times she almost went home? Part of me thinks they gave it to her because she is plus sized and they have never had a plus size winner.

Don't get me wrong, I like Whitney alot I just think Anya deserved it more.

[3lla]

I'm afraid that i have to take issue with their definition of "plus sized". If she's plus sized then i'm morbidly obese!

That's precisely what I was thinking...what is the world coming to when someone as small as she is is defined as "plus-sized?" It's obscene. I feel disgusted right now...

what they said.

[Mongrel]

She's not small. She's big in a good-looking way.
"Plus-size" is not tantamount to "fat." It means you are over a certain size. And Whitney, being tall and having larger-than-average bust-waist-hip measurement, is over that size(though just barely, since she's a size 10).

[Pink]

If you went into ANY plus-sized store, you would not find a size 10. The smallest size they carry is 14. I know because I actually am plus-sized.

[3lla]

wow now i really feel like a hypocrite seeing as the last time checked I was a size 6.


but compared to everyone else in the country i look like sasquatch since I'm literally twice the size of everyone.

[Rissa]

Was the goal of the first picture to look like Avril Lavigne?

[Siniri]

Size 10 a plus size? That's ridiculous. Here are some statistics for you:
1) From 1999-2002, the average woman in the U.S. weighs 163 lb and stands at 5'3.8" (up 10 lb and 0.1 inches from ~10 years prior) -- this corresponds to a BMI of 28.2, which is in the higher end of the "overweight" category. See this article for data on Canadian, British, and Mexican women and men, as well.

2) The average U.S. woman's waist circumference is 36.5".

3) This waist circumference corresponds to a plus size 20W.

4) On the plus side, an (admittedly small) study of overweight* adolescent girls found that "media role models" had little influence on their perceptions of appropriate body size.

*In the U.S., what's considered "overweight" for adults is called "at risk of overweight" for children; "obese" for adults is called "overweight" for children.

[Mongrel]

Plus-size model is a term internationally applied to a woman who is engaged primarily in modeling garments that are designed and marketed specifically for larger body sizes and types.

I just don't think people should hear "plus-size" and automatically attach negative connotations to it. The fact that she models clothing designed for plus-sizes* doesn't make her any less attractive, so calling her a plus-size model does not mean she's fat. It's just a job description.

*Meaning the clothing is designed to look good in plus-sizes, not that it is only manufactured in plus-sizes. If you wear an unusual size in anything, especially if you're a women, you probably understand the distinction.

[Pink]

No one's saying that fat=ugly (at least I hope not). I'm overweight and, as far as I know from compliments I receive, I'm beautiful. Being overweight, it is frustrating when I see someone who is not plus-size modeling clothes that are supposed to go on me because they have a very different body-build than myself. For example, I saw this adorable dress
(http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=306301&CategoryID=32926&LinkType=SiteAd&LinkLoc=32147&AdID=46812)
on the Macy's website designed for plus-sized women on a small woman. What some fashion designers don't realize is that just because you make something and it looks good on a small woman and then you make it in a bigger size, it doesn't mean it will look good on the bigger-size woman. A dress that short with my legs would be horrendous. The material is NYLON/SPANDEX for pete's sake. Talk about a dress that will show every single curve in my body. Granted not every store does this. Even this store had some actual plus-sized women modeling their clothes. It's just a massive pet-peeve of mine.

All that to say, I don't think this model is ugly, by any means, or fat. She is simply just not plus-sized and, therefore, should not be modeling plus-sized clothing. She's a healthy weight. How about we start letting normal-sized models model normal-sized clothing and real plus-sized models model plus-sized clothing?

[Fiddelysquat]

I always give a chuckle when they call these girls "plus sized". I am in the healthy weight range for my height, and these girls are, on average, two inches taller than I am and quite a few pant sizes smaller. It truly warps your vision when you see them standing next to all the other girls on the show. Comparitively, they are plus sized, but put them in a room full of normal women and you'll see the truth.