Inclusion Paradox Sighting: Challenging Sizeism – German Women’s Mag Bans Models

When it comes to society’s view of female body image, much has been documented about how powerfully debilitating the impossible standards can be. The epidemic of anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders provides ample evidence of this. But less obvious, and yet as insidious, is the impact these images of “ideal” size, weight, and shape have on many women’s sense of selfconfidence. This worldview then leads to practices in the workplace that may create hiring and promotion biases against those who most vary from a “benchmark” established by women who reflect a very small percentage of females. Having raised a daughter, coached girls soccer for many years, and providing mentoring to women professionals, I have seen these images also play a limiting role in many girls’ and women’s ability to physically move with power on the field or in the workplace.

Clearly the media reinforces this thin-as-a-pin worldview of what is considered good and healthy, though in reality it leads to the opposite. So when a women’s magazine decides to not use models, but rather “ordinary” women, for its pictures, it’s big news.  It is reminiscent of the impact the Dove Self Esteem Fund campaign — whose mission is to “help free the next generation of self limiting beauty stereotypes” — has had.

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