Female body image issues

[Disneyphile]

This is a splinter thread from the "sex appeal" thread in the Disney forum. It's such an emotionally charged issue that I think it deserves its own topic. So, continue the discussion here.

[Goliath]

Well, it's hard for a man to say anything on the issue. That's partly because it's men who control business and advertising and thus control the public image of the 'perfect' woman; and partly because ordinary men can easily be accused of losing their objectivity (i.e. giving their ideal description of womens bodies, instead of objective, informed opinions).

Personally, I like a size 36-38. Not a size 0. (Are European sizes the same as American ones?) I don't think there's anything wrong with promoting the image of women who are slim. More and more people nowadays are overweight and that's simply not healthy. So nothing wrong with slim girls, but most magazines simply take it too far. I was going through my girlfriend's 'Cosmopolitan' (God knows why she reads it; seems so unlike her), and most of the women featured in it were *too* thin. Almost no curves, freakishly thin arms etc. Some of them even had not even hints of a female figure --okay, that's hugely exaggerated, but it was bad.

[Elladorine]

Personally, I like a size 36-38. Not a size 0. (Are European sizes the same as American ones?)

A 36-38 would be a size 2-4 in American sizes. And it looks like the American size 0 that so many refer to would be the equivalent of a 34 in European sizes.

Interestingly, the average American woman wears a size 14, which would be a 48 in European sizes. It's been rumored that Marylin Monroe wore a size 14, a point brought up to illustrate how our perception of healthy weight and sizes have changed over the years.



However, I've heard differing opinions on what size she actually wore so it's probably a moot point.

[Goliath]

Interestingly, the average American woman wears a size 14, which would be a 48 in European sizes.

That doesn't sound right. I've read (again, in 'Cosmo') that the average size of European women is size 40. I know overweight is more prevalent in the US, but would it really be that big a difference?

It's been rumored that Marylin Monroe wore a size 14, a point brought up to illustrate how our perception of healthy weight and sizes have changed over the years.

That would mean Marilyn Monroe had a European size 48?! That doesn't seem right. But that picture does prove standards have changed dramatically over the years.

[Elladorine]

That doesn't sound right. I've read (again, in 'Cosmo') that the average size of European women is size 40. I know overweight is more prevalent in the US, but would it really be that big a difference?

Yes actually, although other countries are beginning to catch up with us as their diets become more Americanized. As of 2010, nearly 34% of adults in the U.S. are obese. Not just overweight, but obese. And sadly, 17% of children are as well.

That would mean Marilyn Monroe had a European size 48?! That doesn't seem right. But that picture does prove standards have changed dramatically over the years.

As I was saying, I'm not sure if it's actually true. But something to keep in mind is that sizes have changed over the decades. The initial idea from the early 1900's, in order to set a new industry standard within an era brought up on homemade clothes, was to give the average dress size the number 10; those who were smaller than average wore a smaller size as dictated by the number of inches away from the "10," the same thing went for larger sizes. However, that standard has changed over time without adjusting with exactness to the current average. But it explains how we can have a size 0 (which doesn't make any sense on the surface), and why size isn't really determined by a standard set of measurements and vary so much from brand to brand.

Anyway, a size 14 from 1920, 1960, and even 1990 are not the same as a size 14 from today, they've actually gotten larger through the decades. If Marilyn really was a 14 back then, it wouldn't be the same 14 of today.

[Dragonlion]

It's been rumored that Marylin Monroe wore a size 14, a point brought up to illustrate how our perception of healthy weight and sizes have changed over the years.

I heard that she was indeed a size 14, but in 1950's sizes. If she were to be measured today, then she'd be about a size 8. Looking at pictures of her, I'm not quite sure I can believe that Monroe could have been a modern size 14.


Just for comparison...

[Goliath]

Thanks for explaining, enigmawing! That makes much sense.

"Size zero" is used as a figure of speech; it's often used to describe supermodels who have no curves, figure or even breasts anymore because they are so thin. They're just flat. I don't know why. Nobody has ever been able to explain to me why they have to be skinny.

[Dragonlion]

"Size zero" is used as a figure of speech; it's often used to describe supermodels who have no curves, figure or even breasts anymore because they are so thin. They're just flat. I don't know why. Nobody has ever been able to explain to me why they have to be skinny.

No it's not. Well, at least not in the U.S. There is actually a size zero, right before size two. My sister actually used to be one (then again, she's naturally thin, and probably around twelve when she wore it), though I'm not sure whether or not she still in that size.