The medical community uses a tool called the Body Mass Index chart to classify underweight, overweight and obesity for adults. According to the BMI chart, I'm morbidly obese. Yet, when I ask myself, ‘how do you define plus size' the word obese is completely out of the equation.
There are so many different words to describe being of large stature; plus size, fat, overweight, obese, curvy, fluffy, big boned, chubby, curvaceous, voluptuous, stocky, plump, BBW, heavy set, zaftig, and so on.
I've fully comfortable self-identifying as plus size (and even don't mind fat) so after a few hours of tossing ideas around I came up with Plus Size Mommy Memoirs (now shortened to Plus Mommy).
On the Plus Mommy Facebook page people sometimes ask how I define plus size and when does someone become plus size.
What Does Plus Size Mean?
I define being plus size as wearing a larger clothing size. Most stores start their women's section with size 12 or 14 so when I reached that size I started to consider myself plus size.
Related: How Much Respect Do Fat Women Deserve When They Are Pregnant?
The dictionary also defines plus size in relationship to clothing size.
plus size
n
1. (Clothing & Fashion)
a. a clothing size designed for people who are above the average sizel
- Two words: Lane Bryant
- When I grew out of Hot Topic, and headed for Torrid. What a better choice!
- When the back of my bra had 4 hooks instead of 2.
- When I felt confident in my own skin to admit it and knew it wasn't a bad thing that I didn't feel bad about myself.
- When I applied for a drivers license my family made me lie on the weight
- When a boy called me thunder thighs in 3rd grade.
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- Size-Friendly Doula Support: A Guide to Finding the Right Fit - March 24, 2023
- What Is Considered Plus Size Pregnancy – Let's Talk About it! - February 25, 2023
- Wow! Maurices Plus Size Maternity Line Dropped [1X – 4X] - September 20, 2022
Margaret Smith
Sunday 12th of October 2014
I call myself curvy. And I don't ever feel bad of this. Its the confident which is an evident on how we plus size ladies show off their beauty and style.
Scottie
Thursday 9th of January 2014
I call myself fat. It took me a while to get to the point were I could use that word and not focus on the negative connotations. Actually, my husband helped a lot. He would call me fat as if it was the sexiest thing ever. When others have heard me call myself fat they always want to correct me "oh no, your not fat!". I actually like this because then I get to have a conversation with them about how I am fat but that is not a bad thing. That I am ok with it (most of the time). My mom had the hardest time adjusting to my use of the word but I think it has been good for her. I have enjoyed my personal reclaiming of the word fat.
Kathryn
Tuesday 14th of January 2014
Scottie, i too have to remember to think positively of myself when it comes to the words: fat, obese, big or large... or even the more medical term obese or morbidly obese (which I am labeled). I love the fact that i too have the support of a wonderful husband who still sees me as the sexiest thing ever, even when I don't. If I call myself a "whale out of water" or something else demeaning, he quickly corrects me and then proceeds to tell me how beautiful I am... Though I don't always believe him, it does put the hurtful thoughts out of my mind and I am able to continue focusing on the positive of everything. I grew up being large, plus-sized, and going through high school was NOT the funnest time... but in the end, I've become able to look at myself in the mirror - true at first I see the negative, but then I do my best to smile and remember that my husband still sees me as pretty, sexy, and he's always making it a point to tell me so.
So kudos to the men out there who think big/plus-sized women are sexy and beautiful, because EVERYONE is!
plussizebirth
Thursday 9th of January 2014
I agree with you! It has taken me awhile to see the word fat as anything besides something negative. I kind of embrace it now but still prefer to be called plus size. I think that's so neat how your husband helped you to embrace it!