Plus Size Model Splashing Stereotypes

Plus–size model Ashley Graham makes the cover on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine.

This is the first time Sports Illustrated has ever featured a plus size model on the front.

Just when we thought body image barriers were breaking, not everyone is on the same page.

“No, I don’t think it’s healthy. Her face is beautiful. Beautiful. But I don’t think it’s healthy in the long run,” says former supermodel Cheryl Tiegs.

Tiegs voiced her thoughts on Sports Illustrated having  plus-size model Graham on the cover.

“To be honest, they consider her plus size but she’s not even that big,” says NDSU senior Erin Disney.

Grahams is said to be a size 16, a few sizes too large for this supermodel.

Teigs defended herself in an open letter stating that her answer, “was based on health concerns because of our nation’s increasing problems with weight linked to diabetes, heart issues and cancer.”

The Body Mass Index is most commonly used by physicians to determine if you are considered obese, but it’s still not the most accurate way to determine obesity.

“As far as a personal trainer, I like to go more to either a waist to hip ratio that’s going to give you girth measurements and predict weather or not you’re at risk for cardio vascular or metabolic disease,” says Courts Plus fitness trainer Jaden Radcliffe.

Based on the waist to hip ratio, Ashley Graham is healthy.

But to supporters that doesn’t matter.

They’re a fan of her breaking the negative body image shown in the media.

“Everyone has different shapes and sizes, so they can’t really control that. That she’s come this far in this huge magazine I think is a really cool thing,” says NDSU freshmen Ashley VanderWoude.

Sports Illustrated’s new direction joins other pop culture institutions in showing a new representation of women’s body image.

“They’ve been making plus size Barbie now, plus size toys, really to get girls to know that every size is okay. It just doesn’t matter. It’s not the outside it’s the inside that counts,” says Disney.

Grahams posted a picture of her Sports Illustrated cover and wrote on her Instagram,

“This cover is for every woman who felt like she wasn’t beautiful enough because of her size. You can do and achieve anything you put your mind to.”