Today like everyday I read the Daily Mail, I do it to myself, like a form of abuse I force myself to read stories that will turn my face red and cause steam to suddenly start streaming from my ears. Really I don’t know why I do it. Today was the turn of the Fatkini, an idea started by the gorgeous and trendy Gabi Gregg of Gabi Fresh who after taking a stonking snap of herself in a gorgeous striped, high waisted bikini from Simply Be, (I think it has now sold out) started to ask other plus size girls to join her and post pics of themselves in their bikini and rage against societies idea of what a bikini body has to look like (if you don’t know by now, pick up the summer issue of any glossy, who will now tell you how to crash diet pre holiday in some extreme and unhealthy way as you wouldn’t want to be so disgusting as to not get bikini body ready would you?)
Personally I think Gabi looks incredible, the truth is she very beautiful anyway but she has also picked a bikini that compliments her figure and the quite frankly it’s confidence that massively adds to attractiveness not just looks alone.
Now while the Daily Mail article isn’t negative it’s an interesting idea to challenge what we perceive is the ‘bikini body’ after all according to statistics, 70% of women would forgo sex in order to get the perfect bikini body, which pretty much sums up both the pressure put on women by men and by women themselves to look a certain way. We enforce a fashion elitism by saying that only women up to a size xx can do, wear and fit into certain lifestyles, which as SLiNK readers will know just does not wash with me.
The part that made me fume the most though were the ignorant comments from Daily Mail readers; I know at this point you are rolling your eyes, why am I surprised by the comments? The sad truth is I’m not remotely surprised, I scrolled down, one eye open to read the comments before I even read the full article, in all honesty though I’m massively disappointed and disheartened, mainly by middle England stupidity and the evil tongue so many have (often male but more sadly female). No one forced you to read the article, no one in the article said that these girls were ill or unhealthy, for all you know they ride bikes and go running, maybe they don’t but I bet the ignorant person responding to the article doesn’t have a drastically healthier lifestyle, if they did, they’d spend less time writing mean comments and scrolling the Daily Mail online with tea and biscuit in hand and be outside on this beautiful day!
Most importantly what we have to start educating people is that health, dress size, BMI and weight aren’t all totally in tune. You can be skinny and unhealthy and plus size a fit. You can have a high BMI even if you exercise 4 times a week and you can be heavy and still healthy. If you get to a point where you are immobile and active, sure you have a problem, you can enjoy all the life has to offer but we have to stop judging a book by it’s cover, a girl by her curves and start actually analysing what makes a person healthy and until we do, then I’m afraid we have no hope folks!
I commend the girls who sent Gabi their picture in their bikini’s confidence and mental happiness is key in being healthy overall and often overlooked by a media society that wants us to always feel inadequate. Me, personally, I wont be sending Gabi a snap anytime soon, I did however purchase a gorgeous swimsuit from Marks and Spencer (under duress although it is lovely) for my Marbella holiday later in the summer and you never know, I picture or two may make my facebook page. But one thing is for certain, we’ve all agreed, we’re definitely still having carbs before Marbs!