When you look at Roman art and literature the women that are depicted having wide hips, a full abdomen, and small breasts. During the Renaissance time period women were shown as being full-figured. What was considered attractive during the renaissance time would probably be considered overweight by today’s standards. If you look into the Victorian era the women during this time were extremely body conscious. The smaller the waistline the more attractive they were. Then in the 1920s women tried to hide their curves. Having a boyish figure was sought after. When the 1950s came along women aimed to have that hourglass figure, which was made popular by movie stars. The 1960s women obsessed with becoming rail thin like the popular model Twiggy. Since the 1960s women continued to obsess with being skinny until the new millennium. Today women and men are still expected be skinny and fit, but more people are trying to change the image.

Yes we still live in an era where being thin is in, but being plus size is a pushing trend. I now see more magazines and shows that promote plus sized women. As a society there is a struggle on what should be portrayed as healthy. Unfortunately, I think that there is not a happy medium being shown yet. Actresses like Jennifer Lawrence, in my opinion show a healthy weight. This push for plus size is not healthy, but the push to be rail thin is not healthy either. We need to push for more of a healthy size. We need to show our youth that you should be a healthy weight. Teaching them that being plus size is okay is not healthy for them. Yes you are helping them with their self esteem because they see bigger girls in the magazines and in movies, but is this hindering them. If they consider their overweight self as sexy, then is their higher risk of diabetes and heart disease also sexy? Stop pushing that it is okay to be overweight and start pushing towards a healthy weight. There is a difference between a curvy woman and a clearly overweight woman.