The mayor of London recently cut skinny models out of advertisements. Why? So-called positive body image advocates had body-shamed a model with a normal body mass index for having an unattainably fit body.
The obscure paradox has left some health professionals wondering if the campaign for more “real women” in advertisements has tipped the scale too far in the opposite direction.
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Movements like #EachBodyReady, #Bekini, and change.org erupted in outrage over a Protein World ad featuring fiercely toned, 24-year-old model Renee Somerfield in a yellow string bikini. The ad, posted all over London, England, last year, posed this provocative question: “Are you beach body ready?”
Ironically, the self-proclaimed positive body image advocates who rally against body-shaming in the media were the same ones condemning Somerfield for her lean physique — and then touting clinically overweight women, all in the same breath.
The controversial ad prompted more than 70,000 people to join change.org’s campaign to remove the posters and inspired London’s new mayor, Sadiq Khan, last month to ban all adverts promoting a negative body image on the city’s transportation vehicles.
Khan said in a statement he is “extremely concerned about this kind of advertising, which can demean people, particularly women, and make them ashamed of their bodies.”
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Though Mayor Kahn’s press officer, Richard Wood, failed to provide the criteria that will be used to vet the ads that promote negative body image, he told LifeZette, “The Protein World ‘beach body ready’ advert exemplifies the kind of image they want to steer away [from].”
“Although [the ad] wasn’t in breach of original advertising policy, the ad was removed … at the end of its booking period. Under the new policy, this particular advert would never have made it onto our network.”
But in an effort to steer away from gaunt, stick-thin models, some body-image movements glamorize clinically obese models instead of promoting healthy-looking figures.
Some health professionals warn these movements raise just as many health concerns.
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“When it comes to either body shaming or glorifying, there are typically two arguable sides to this conversation,” said psychologist Shaelyn Pham. “One is that it is good for your self-esteem if you accept it [obesity], and the other is it can be a health risk.”
Other body-image movements are gaining momentum that aim to balance out the scale. There are the new Barbie models that come in different shapes and sizes, as well as Nike’s “strong is beautiful” campaign. But there’s also Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” song and Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign, which serve up thick-bodied models as the solution to replacing the skinny minis.
Somerfield countered the heavy criticism from the body shamers by emphasizing that “the real goal should always be health, not body size.”
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“I agree that all bodies are ‘beach body ready.’ Skinny, curvy, muscular, petite, tall, short, young and old. Confidence is beautiful no matter what size you are … Your reflection doesn’t define your worth,” Somerfield said.
She also said she worked hard to obtain her physique and that she takes pride in her journey.
“I am a real person behind the image. I work very hard and live a healthy and active lifestyle, which is why Protein World chose me for their campaign. I couldn’t work every day as a full-time model by starving myself, dieting, or not looking after my body.”
She added, “Nourish your body, be kind to it and it will love you right back, no matter your size.”
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