Question

The average American woman is a size 14, yet that is not the size sold most frequently in stores. Men are not immune either. What do you think about plus size modeling, clothing and advertising. How and why has our ideal image strayed so far from reality? What do you think about ideal self after reading the case ?

Answer 1

The average American woman is a size 14 and yet that is not the size sold most frequently in stores and similarly for men. This statement is directly inclined towards a very thin line between what I might shape into positive and normative economics. What reality we have in front of ourselves and what we perceive. It has more so to do with what is showcased or what the population defines and relates perfect woman to be. Starting from commercials to ramp shows to even movies, being perfect woman is related with perfect size, perfect appearance, perfect physique and what not and similarly for men perfect height, perfect size. The concept that they fail to understand is that perfection is not a standard and it cannot be defined. A perfect human is flawed and flaws need to be embraced, it doesn't matter what size you are. A plus size woman or even man is not encouraged to be on ramps, movies or even appreciated for what they are. It is very important to be healthy but that does not mean that one has to starve themselves to fit in one's standard of acceptance. So that comes to a point that even though an average woman size is 14 but we are so engrossed in another reality where we imagine that all girls apparently covered till size 10 that we have forgotten what actual reality is.

Now as the plus size beauty is appreciated and people are moving towards this social issue, thankfully we are expected to see reality more closely than we did and henceforth even accept that there is actually no definition of ideal size.

And as they say "Happiness comes in all sizes and forms". So, let's be more accepting.