# Rosie Mercado on Body Shamers, Haters & Her 200 Lb Weight Loss



## wrestlingguy (Nov 12, 2015)

Original article can be found here

Model Rosie Mercado expected to gain quite a bit as a result of her recent 200-pound weight loss, things like mobility, vitality and a new lease on life. But she didn't expect to gain social media haters. 
Mercado, a plus-size fashion model and the new face of Igigi's holiday campaign, has been upfront with her social media followers about her weight loss, sharing photos documenting her transformation and posting candid confessions. For the most part, Mercado's fans have responded with positive feedback. 
Yet soon after Igigi shared a _New York Post_ article detailing Mercados journey to #lovingherself on Facebook, negative comments about the 35-year-old model's weight loss started to roll in. I think its interesting that there are scores of plus sized models who dont market themselves through weight loss, yet you choose to partner with one who does, one Facebook fan comment on November 2nd. You cant separate promoting yourself and promoting weight loss if your support this article, wrote another. 
Mercado has since responded to her critics via social media, first posting a video in response to her critics on Facebook and later sharing pointed messages to her haters on Instagram. Now, shes sharing her story with The Huffington Post in the hopes of setting the record straight. 



*HuffPost:* *What was your initial reaction when you read the negative comments written about you on Igigi's Facebook page? *
What Ive learned in life is that you have to be authentic. People pick up on that. And say the truth. Not everybody is going to celebrate. Not everyone is going to love you. Im okay with that. Nobodys telling them that they have to lose weight. I raised my own standards for quality of life for me and because I want my kids to live in a different style. I want them to be conscious about things that they do and how it affects their body, and understand that their bodys a temple, and thats what you need in order to accomplish your goals.
Now that I am 200 pounds, Im able to enjoy different things that I wasnt able to [before] because I didnt fit, I was too heavy.


*Like what? *
I didnt fit in the chairs at shows. You have to call ahead of time. You need to find out what kind of seating they have -- is it theater seating? Stadium seating? Thats one. Two: Is there a booth or a table at a restaurant? What kind of chairs [do they have]? Are they sturdy enough to hold me? Are they wooden or metal chairs? 
*Back then, did your weight impact the way you felt about yourself? *
When you have to hire a nanny to go with you to spend time with your kids, and you have to stand there and not enjoy those moments because youre too big, it really affects you. You feel awkward. You have a limited lifestyle. Also, youre limited in energy. It really affects the feeling of freedom. 




> My goal at the end of the day is I dont want my hips to hurt. I dont want my knees to hurt. I wanna be free. I dont want to worry about the things that I cant do. I dont want a limited lifestyle, and I want my kids to be happy.




*How have you reconciled being body-positive with deciding that you want to change your body? *
Body positive means that you love yourself. Body positive means that you take care of the body that youre given because its the only body that you have to accomplish your goals, to accomplish your lifes purpose. Body positive means that you watch what you take care of. You feed your spirit as well. Its not just the eating part. Its the educational part as well. It means that you accept your perfections and imperfections -- everything that comes with your body youre able to accept it. 
Its definitely not about becoming a certain size. Do I have a goal? Absolutely. I wanna keep trimming down. My goal at the end of the day is I dont want my hips to hurt. I dont want my knees to hurt. I wanna be free. I dont want to worry about the things that I cant do. I dont want a limited lifestyle, and I want my kids to be happy. 





*What have you learned about yourself throughout this journey that surprised you, either physically, emotionally or mentally? *
That if people dont like me, its okay. Its not a reflection of me, but its a reflection of them. People will always be judgmental whether Im 200 lbs or 400 lbs, and they have to live with that. I can choose not to live with that and keep going on my journey. I think [it is important to be] happy with what youre given and what you have. 



*How has your journey impacted your children?*
My weight loss has impacted them with quality of life. Im able to spend time with them. Im not tired all the time. I got on a bike for the first time this weekend. My next goal is to buy my bike and be able to take my kids on a bike ride. Ive never been able to do that with them, so itll be something completely new. And theyll be able to grow up with those memories. 



*What is the the one thing people should keep in mind as they prepare to embark on a similar journey?*
I think whether its weight loss or youre [pursuing] a career goal or a relationship goal or a spiritual goal, you have to ask yourself: "Why am I doing this?" You have to have clarity if you want to be successful, because the moment you get tempted or dont feel like doing something, then you have "the goal is this and Im doing it because of that." I think understanding that when you make a decision that is going to change your life around, thinking who else is this going to impact?
Every decision that you make, when its a major decision, it impacts the people closest to you. For me, thats my family.
And when you accomplish a goal, celebrate those mini victories. A celebration along the way is what keeps you motivated to keep going.


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## BBW MeganLynn44DD (Nov 12, 2015)

Good for her,she did get a hard time for being so heavy.It's her body and I applaud her for her decision.


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## Dr. Feelgood (Nov 12, 2015)

Rosie Mercado is one of the world's loveliest women, at any size. And having read her posts, I'd say she's also one of the wisest. I wish all good things for her. :wubu:


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## azerty (Nov 13, 2015)

BBW MeganLynn44DD said:


> Good for her,she did get a hard time for being so heavy.It's her body and I applaud her for her decision.





Dr. Feelgood said:


> Rosie Mercado is one of the world's loveliest women, at any size. And having read her posts, I'd say she's also one of the wisest. I wish all good things for her. :wubu:



+1 it is her body and she is beautiful at all size. Like any woman


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## veggieforever (Nov 14, 2015)

I am so happy for her. I think if anyone feels trapped, miserable or their life is limited by ANY situation then to take positive steps forward and SUCCEED to release yourself is commendable! She is a stunning female and I wish her nothing but the best. I understand how she feels and how great it feels to drop the weight that personally held me back that stopped me living my life to the fullest. We all should do what is best for ourselves to achieve the best level of health and quality of life to be the very best that we can.
I just hope she doesn't become a bag of bones though... All too often 'Once BBW's' go too far the other way. This, just as she felt her larger body did, will be detrimental to her health, send out a negative message and be very life limiting.


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## wrestlingguy (Nov 14, 2015)

I take a somewhat different approach to this article, and to Ms. Mercado's comments, both in the article, and with some of the things she's said afterward.

A friend of mine, after reading the story, summed up my feelings even better than I could. I'm going to quote her here:



> If she's truly happier and feels better at her new size, then that's important. We only have one life--how can we begrudge someone doing what makes them feel they're getting the most from it. When you give one media impression when you're super fat though--Life is great! I'm happy at my size-- and then retell the story differently once you're thinner--Life was hard. I didn't fit. I didn't have energy--then it makes the fats left behind out to be liars, even if they are genuinely happy.
> 
> I think when we change we have a responsibility not to throw each other under the bus like that. But at the same time, maybe we as a community need to look at whether we make it feel unacceptable for people who are fat and struggling with unhappiness in their body to say so--while they're fat. Sometimes it feels like if you don't stick to the fat community talking points you're shunned. It makes sense that we want to project only the positive--we take so much shit that we if allow any cracks to show the haters will use it to invalidate anything we point out. But life's complex. Weight loss seems to free, almost compel, people to publicly barf up all the hard things they struggled with silently before. So maybe we need to look at our suppression of those discussions if this is the result.


Mercado has since said she wanted to avoid heart disease, diabetes, degenerative bone diseases, none of which can solely be attributed to being fat. Hell, even the American Diabetes Association says that while weight can be a contributing factor to type II diabetes, there are many other things that can contribute as well, and it's obvious that thin and average sized people can also have type II diabetes, and that many fat people never develop diabetes (see Diabetes Myths )

I think that we as a community sort of have an obligation (and I know many who disagree with me) to ensure that when people like Mercado make disparaging comments about their former lifestyle, that they need to be addressed as being taken for what they are, meaning that she doesn't represent all fat people, and that many fat people lead happy & healthy lives, with the only negative being the fat bias that's reinforced with articles like this one.

I take no issue with Mercado doing whatever she needs to do to be happy (though again, seeing so many interviews with her when she WAS 400 lbs, she seemed like she was enjoying her life). After all, we're all in charge of our own bodies. My issue is with the comments she made that reinforce weight bias. I feel it reinforces weight prejudice, body judgment, and overall fat hate.


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## Waikikian (Nov 14, 2015)

It's her life. No matter how much I may have liked her previous appearance, and whatever her reasons, I don't have the right to tell her what to do. The best of luck to her, and to all of us as we make our own decisions. Requiring her to give explanations, and that every detail of the explanations be beyond quibble, would be a standard I would not want to be judged by myself.


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## wrestlingguy (Nov 14, 2015)

Waikikian said:


> It's her life. No matter how much I may have liked her previous appearance, and whatever her reasons, I don't have the right to tell her what to do. The best of luck to her, and to all of us as we make our own decisions. Requiring her to give explanations, and that every detail of the explanations be beyond quibble, would be a standard I would not want to be judged by myself.



My question to you is, based on her comments about her previous life, isn't she causing others who are fat to be judged?

In other words, if she's reinforcing the bias that fat people are unhealthy/unhappy with their fat bodies, isn't she causing other people to judge fat people in the light of those comments?


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## mango (Nov 14, 2015)

*Not my words but...*



> "Because fat people and people who have lost weight can still be fat shaming shit heads..."
> 
> *"Dear Former Fatty..."*
> A vlog post by FatGirlFlow...



[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGaduLKJ77A[/ame]


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## StrugglingWriter (Nov 14, 2015)

Beautiful girl. I had much the same thought when I read her comments (i.e., the "I'm so happy...you know what? I wasn't so happy" thing). My selfish FA self looks at her and is sad that the world has lost such a uniquely beautiful shape.


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## Craiger16 (Nov 19, 2015)

*
"I didnt fit in the chairs at shows. You have to call ahead of time. You need to find out what kind of seating they have -- is it theater seating? Stadium seating? Thats one. Two: Is there a booth or a table at a restaurant? What kind of chairs [do they have]? Are they sturdy enough to hold me? Are they wooden or metal chairs?"

As a big guy I do agree it sucks when seating is too small. I wish they would give people room instead of cramming more and more seats in with less and less space. It makes you not want to go anywhere.

There was a stadium renovation and they put new chairs that seemed smaller and closer together than before? normal sized people have their knees hitting there chin! Now that is bs.
*


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## lostinadaydream (Nov 19, 2015)

Well, it makes me sad that such a beautiful womanly girl that she has been is now thin like many others.


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## Aswani (Nov 20, 2015)

I think she had a difficult situation on both sides of the weight coin--as you pointed out Wrestlingguy. When she was large she felt compelled to say she was fine and happy and felt she had to keep a confident facade--in lieu of the body pains, lack of energy and inability to bond closer with her kids. If she DID express those thing while big just imagine how much flack she would catch from the fat community as well as the rest of society that you know would say "See? There's no benefit to being fat". And then, after the weight loss, she's being pressured to explain why she decided to lose the weight. As I said, a difficult situation.


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## StrugglingWriter (Nov 20, 2015)

Aswani said:


> I think she had a difficult situation on both sides of the weight coin--as you pointed out Wrestlingguy. When she was large she felt compelled to say she was fine and happy and felt she had to keep a confident facade--in lieu of the body pains, lack of energy and inability to bond closer with her kids. If she DID express those thing while big just imagine how much flack she would catch from the fat community as well as the rest of society that you know would say "See? There's no benefit to being fat". And then, after the weight loss, she's being pressured to explain why she decided to lose the weight. As I said, a difficult situation.



I think you mostly just nailed it for any woman. But with it all is also the upside of getting attention and adulation from whichever group actually approves of what you did. She put herself out there exactly for that reason, and she constructed a public identity to make herself a celebrity. Certain things come with that, including us sharing our opinions about what she says on the record. In this case, she chose to emphasize positive potential of size and to not discuss the negative, and on some level it was disingenuous. Now, I regard the crime as similar to scope and importance as taking a second scoop of potato salad at the potluck when some people haven't even gotten through the line yet, but I certainly think it's still there.

But that's why the discussion always turns back to confidence and self-acceptance. Women simply get more attention for their looks. There will be criticism no matter what. I'm glad Rosie has herself in a better place.


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## Shosh (Nov 21, 2015)

I think she did it for the most important reason of all, her children.
She wanted to be an active parent and be able to keep up with them and at 400 pounds that is difficult.
She also wants to be around for her children, and have a long life.

The health problems are real too.
I am now not far off 400 pounds, and I notice the difference.
Things are hard and you do struggle.

I love the way I look, and how my fat body feels, but I do not love the health issues that come along with it.


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## azerty (Nov 22, 2015)

Shosh said:


> I think she did it for the most important reason of all, her children.
> She wanted to be an active parent and be able to keep up with them and at 400 pounds that is difficult.
> She also wants to be around for her children, and have a long life.
> 
> ...



How right you are


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## BigCutie Kelly (Nov 23, 2015)

Came to post the link to Corissa's vlog, saw it was already posted.

I think Mercado's latest interviews are incredibly harmful to fat people both in how she throws her past accomplishments under the bus, she was the face of Igigi campaigns at 400+lbs, and how she sells the lie that "hard work and eating right" were responsible for her weight loss after having gastric bypass.


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## wrestlingguy (Nov 23, 2015)

BigCutie Kelly said:


> Came to post the link to Corissa's vlog, saw it was already posted.
> 
> I think Mercado's latest interviews are incredibly harmful to fat people both in how she throws her past accomplishments under the bus, she was the face of Igigi campaigns at 400+lbs, and how she sells the lie that "hard work and eating right" were responsible for her weight loss after having gastric bypass.



Kelly, I've heard other people say that she's had WLS, but I've never seen any true evidence of it.

Have you heard this from other people, or has she given any evidence of gastric bypass in anything she's written? While I have no issue with anyone wanting to change their life, weight shape or whatever if it makes them happy, I do take issue with people who lie about the changes they've made.


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## wrestlingguy (Nov 23, 2015)

Actually, I just found it (gotta love google). Mercado admits that she had the gastric sleeve.

http://bettervideonetwork.com/view/...do-reveals-surgery-played-role-in-weight-loss


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## lucca23v2 (Nov 23, 2015)

it is her body.. she can do what she wants with it.. but she should fix her feet... did you see her toes!!!!!!!!!!! WTF??????


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## Marlayna (Nov 24, 2015)

lucca23v2 said:


> it is her body.. she can do what she wants with it.. but she should fix her feet... did you see her toes!!!!!!!!!!! WTF??????


Exactly. I haven't seen them. She'll have to pamper her feet. Everyone gets one body for life, what you do with it is a personal choice.


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## agouderia (Nov 24, 2015)

There is no truer proverb the English language has to offer than:
Beware of renegades.

People who make radical changes in their lives and then disparage their former lives, beliefs, friends, bodies - whatever. It's a personality trait, and not a very endearing one - and imo has something to do with being a very insecure person.

I do see that living in the public eye, actually making a living from a public presence and then in combination with an issue that is as morally loaded as weight is these days adds another layer of difficulty to it.

Nevertheless, as much as it is her decision to do with her body and life what she likes, being judgemental about her former life is not the way to do it.

Also - as far as her career opportunities go - I would say she and all her current media cheerleaders are wrong. Losing so much weight gets her publicity now for a short term; it will not do anything mid- and longterm for her career bookings.

Why? Apart from the age factor (she is on the old side with 35 even for a so-called plus size model who are generally already older than 'regular' models) - losing the weight has made her also lose some of her visual symmetry. 

From the perspective not of an FA, but from a female communication scientist who knows something about visual perception: She still is an attractive woman - but her features no longer have the perfect symmetry that the human eye instinctively perceives as beautiful, as it is associated to being a sign of health. Her facial features are actually very - or for a model too - expressive with big eyes, pronounced forehead and cheek bones and wide mouth. Being heavier with fuller cheeks balanced these out, created a symmetry which enhanced her beauty in the viewers eye.
(And don't argue here that Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren or Anne Hathaway had/have great careers with such expressive features - they're actresses not beauty models. Models are required to have much more regular visuals)

Similiar applies to her body type btw. She is an extreme pear with very wide hips - even for plus-size modeling too far off the desired symmetry of a 1:1 bust-hip ratio. And losing the weight has increased this disproportion.

Bottom line - losing weight is almost never a long term sustainable career boost for anybody who had found their fat niche. Not least because competition amongst the skinnies is much fiercer.


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## Shosh (Nov 24, 2015)

Interesting how we as women have to justify and give explanations throughout our lifetime for how our bodies are be they big or small, or change in any way.
Men do not have that burden.


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## Dr. Feelgood (Nov 24, 2015)

Shosh said:


> Interesting how we as women have to justify and give explanations throughout our lifetime for how our bodies are be they big or small, or change in any way.



Interesting, indeed. Why do you think this is?


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## Shosh (Nov 24, 2015)

Dr. Feelgood said:


> Interesting, indeed. Why do you think this is?


 Because I am a woman, I know this only too well.
All women live under this scrutiny and pressure.


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## lucca23v2 (Nov 24, 2015)

Dr. Feelgood said:


> Interesting, indeed. Why do you think this is?



Because unlike men women are viewed as having a "Shelf-Life".. like canned goods.


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## Shosh (Nov 25, 2015)

lucca23v2 said:


> Because unlike men women are viewed as having a "Shelf-Life".. like canned goods.


 
Yep, you see it everywhere.


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## wrestlingguy (Nov 25, 2015)

Shosh said:


> Because I am a woman, I know this only too well.
> All women live under this scrutiny and pressure.



I happen to agree. A few years ago I wrote a blog about this. The amazing thing (to me) is that women have an incredible capacity to look beyond just the physical in their interpersonal/romantic relationships. I think men have difficulty doing this (not because it's in their genes, I think there are social/psychological reasons that this occurs), and as a result, it appears that women get put under the microscope every time their appearance changes, regardless of how small those changes may be.

With that said, I think the rise of the new feminism taking place on the internet has created some positive change for women today. It appears to me that many of the new feminists are doing without relationships with men. That may not necessarily be what they want (or it may be), but it certainly takes things like appearance judgment (and the control that may accompany it) out of the equation. I don't know how many men are aware of this change, but I suppose if they get cut off from meaningful relationships long enough, they might make the necessary changes in their lives that will allow the male gender to perhaps begin to endear themselves to the women of the world again.

Might......


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## Dr. Feelgood (Nov 25, 2015)

Shosh said:


> Because I am a woman, I know this only too well.
> All women live under this scrutiny and pressure.



Sorry, Shosh, I guess I didn't express myself very well. I'm not challenging what you said; I'm asking for your opinion on how the situation came about. Why are women judged in a way that men are not? And who has the authority to judge slightly over half the human race?


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## Dr. Feelgood (Nov 25, 2015)

lucca23v2 said:


> Because unlike men women are viewed as having a "Shelf-Life".. like canned goods.



Who's doing the viewing here? Men? If so, why would any woman give a rat's patoot about it? An awful lot of men don't seem to worry about how women view _them_. Do women buy into this business of being continually judged? If so, why? It seems shallow and demeaning, so why accept it?

I think what I'm trying to say is, do women require more validation from men than men require from women? And if so, why? Most of the women who post here seem to live their own lives on their own terms; why can't everyone?


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## wrestlingguy (Nov 25, 2015)

Dr. Feelgood said:


> Who's doing the viewing here? Men? If so, why would any woman give a rat's patoot about it? An awful lot of men don't seem to worry about how women view _them_. Do women buy into this business of being continually judged? If so, why? It seems shallow and demeaning, so why accept it?
> 
> I think what I'm trying to say is, do women require more validation from men than men require from women? And if so, why? Most of the women who post here seem to live their own lives on their own terms; why can't everyone?



I have a 27 year old daughter who minored in feminist studies. As she relates it to me (and I tend to agree), womens bodies have been judged by men for centuries, and it goes way past simple laws/rules of attraction. So, when centuries go by and this happens, women (who are hard wired differently than men are Venus-Mars) haven't "bought into" it, they've been born into that culture/mindset.

So for years, when all the women around them have needed male validation in their lives, it has only been in the past 50 years that feminism has made the statement that male validation isn't necessary. Of course, not every woman has bought into it, as the patriarchy culture continues to beat women down for every little nuance or change in appearance, which is why so many young girls today suffer from body image issues. I have a friend who runs a support group called "This Is My Body Project", and while there are a handful of males who have posted stories, the sheer volume and descriptions of events reported by young women is enough to make one cry.

I hope and pray this will change over time, and in saying that, I'm not hoping that women "toughen up" and become more desensitized to it. I'm hoping that my gender learns how to be more respectful of the differences between genders, and stop viewing women as disposable.


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## lucca23v2 (Nov 25, 2015)

Dr. Feelgood said:


> Who's doing the viewing here? Men? If so, why would any woman give a rat's patoot about it? An awful lot of men don't seem to worry about how women view _them_. Do women buy into this business of being continually judged? If so, why? It seems shallow and demeaning, so why accept it?
> 
> I think what I'm trying to say is, do women require more validation from men than men require from women? And if so, why? Most of the women who post here seem to live their own lives on their own terms; why can't everyone?


Everyone does the viewing. I am not one to need validation, but that doesn't nean that I am oblivious to how others view me.

It is not only men and not only in terms of body. Women in general are seen to have a shelf life. A man can be a bachelor all his life and no one thinks twice about it. "It is his choice"...If a woman decides to be single and is past a certain age.. it is.. "if she is not married by now....".. implying that the older she gets the less value she has...



Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk


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## azerty (Nov 25, 2015)

lucca23v2 said:


> Everyone does the viewing. I am not one to need validation, but that doesn't nean that I am oblivious to how others view me.
> 
> It is not only men and not only in terms of body. Women in general are seen to have a shelf life. A man can be a bachelor all his life and no one thinks twice about it. "It is his choice"...If a woman decides to be single and is past a certain age.. it is.. "if she is not married by now....".. implying that the older she gets the less value she has...



In France what you are saying is very true and so related to the latin culture. And I have to admit, that for women life is much harder than for men.


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## Shosh (Nov 26, 2015)

wrestlingguy said:


> I happen to agree. A few years ago I wrote a blog about this. The amazing thing (to me) is that women have an incredible capacity to look beyond just the physical in their interpersonal/romantic relationships. I think men have difficulty doing this (not because it's in their genes, I think there are social/psychological reasons that this occurs), and as a result, it appears that women get put under the microscope every time their appearance changes, regardless of how small those changes may be.
> 
> With that said, I think the rise of the new feminism taking place on the internet has created some positive change for women today. It appears to me that many of the new feminists are doing without relationships with men. That may not necessarily be what they want (or it may be), but it certainly takes things like appearance judgment (and the control that may accompany it) out of the equation. I don't know how many men are aware of this change, but I suppose if they get cut off from meaningful relationships long enough, they might make the necessary changes in their lives that will allow the male gender to perhaps begin to endear themselves to the women of the world again.
> 
> Might......


 
Very well said!


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## Shosh (Nov 26, 2015)

Dr. Feelgood said:


> Sorry, Shosh, I guess I didn't express myself very well. I'm not challenging what you said; I'm asking for your opinion on how the situation came about. Why are women judged in a way that men are not? And who has the authority to judge slightly over half the human race?


 
Men judge women, other women judge women.

Women are just expected to conform to a certain look that society demands of them.
It has been this way since day dot.
If they do not it is social suicide for them.


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## agouderia (Nov 26, 2015)

Shosh said:


> Women are just expected to conform to a certain look that society demands of them.



Shosh, I'm 100% with you regarding that women are evaluated by their looks in society - and thus much more subject to sizism, ageism, lookism, etc. And that this is a boon to individual development but also to the progress of women in general in the world. 

This case is different though - we're talking about a professional model who uses her body and looks as her professional capital to earn money. If you choose to work with your looks as your asset and talking point, by what else should you be defined? A baker is also professionally defined by the quality of the bread he/she bakes.

The male equivalent to the model (male models are socially too insignificant to really compare) btw are professional soccer/football/basketball players, who are too judged only by their physique, their age and their physical capabilities.

It's a conscious professional choice people who bring the necessary physical prerequisites and talents with them make. This choice for many brings (partially incredible) perks with it - but also the drawback of being publically judged based on their body. It's not on par with body discrimination women face in daily life.


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## Dr. Feelgood (Nov 28, 2015)

I first heard about Rosie Mercado a couple of years ago, on this board. My wife receives every plus-size-women's-wear catalog known to man (or woman), and I never saw this plus-size model in any of them. But another catalog arrived last week, and guess who was beaming up at me from its pages? None other! Apparently her weight loss hasn't hurt her career.


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