Health professional claims plus-size models 'glorify obesity'

  • 03/08/2017
Health professional claims plus-size models 'glorify obesity'
Photo credit: Getty

Queensland's top doctor has come under fire after suggesting plus-size models should be banned from the runway.

Doctor Brad Frankum fears the models "glorify obesity" and send dangerous health messages to women, going so far as to compare the use of overweight models to advertisements featuring cigarettes.

The news comes after The Daily Telegraph Sydney Confidential's online editor, Soraiya Fuda, published an opinion piece criticising the use of overweight models.

"Parading and glorifying size 20-somethings on any runway promotes an underlying and irresponsible message that doing nothing about your weight is ok" said Fuda.

Body-positive activists have hit out at this argument, saying overweight women already face so much discrimination that it is impossible to "glorify obesity".

Fuda added that her argument works both ways: "If the fashion industry decides to stop using models who appear to have starved themselves to skin and bones - as they should - they shouldn't then choose to promote an equally unhealthy body shape.

Many lifestyle and fashion labels have come to combat this mentality over the years.

New Zealand brand Lonely Lingerie is just one example, launching a body positive campaign in 2016 which featured a diverse range of models.

The campaign's stylist Zara Mirkin told Dazed Digital, "I just want women to accept who they are and appreciate what they bring to this world, and very importantly be proud of what they look like. Any size or skin colour."

Frankum and Fuda stand by their statements.

Newshub.