British journalist and TV presenter Piers Morgan has slammed the Cosmopolitan magazine for featuring plus-size model Tess Holliday on its cover, arguing it doesn't represent 'positive body image.'
Sorry, but 5ft 3in & 300lbs is NOT a ‘positive body image' to celebrate on the front cover of a magazine as Britain suffers from an ever-worsening obesity crisis. @GMB pic.twitter.com/CwvOQtsOrA
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 3, 2018
Following a storm of criticism and commentary to his post, including arguments by dietitians, Mr. Morgan hit back with another message.
The presenter said that — despite arguments against "weight bias" and for "diversity" — he failed to see the point.
I grabbed myself a cuppa, read this interminably long thread (I loathe threads) & and learned nothing.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 5, 2018
Every doctor in the world will confirm that a person who is 5ft 3in & 300lbs+ is very dangerously overweight. https://t.co/uOEY6N2XxX
However, not everyone disagreed with the British media personality, as comments surfaced on Twitter against "embracing of obesity."
Weighing in on this debate. I’m actually agreeing with @piersmorgan 😱. Working in the NHS as a physiotherapist where obesity costs £4.2 billion a year, we work daily to promote excercise and a healthy lifestyle/weight. This embracing of obesity is incredibly damaging. #NHS https://t.co/kwbjWdYQo3
— Jon Challis (@JonChallis) September 4, 2018
She absolutely doesn’t, the lady on the magazine cover is obese. Obesity is a health epedemic in the developed world with many health risks, a healthy diet & exercise leads to a healthier life. Like it’s not just scientifically proven it’s the most basic level of common sense.
— LFC Sydney (@beeeeeepop) September 5, 2018
Im really not into fat shaming. But this surely can’t catch on? What will this teach the youths of today? That being overweight is healthy in the name of fashion? It’s not just this, it’s the severely skinny models as well. The fashion industry is a blight to the world.
— Craig Rodger (@che5ter666) September 5, 2018
I agree it’s totally inapriate
— d21 (@Deliasmall17) September 5, 2018
It screams
High cholestral
Diabetes
Heart attack
High blood pressure
But I suppose everyone says she’s really bubbly and she’s happy with that
Piers you summed this up beautifully yesterday. No magazine would feature a cover of a person smoking, drinking or surrounded by drug paraphernalia. Why? Because these are not healthy lifestyles, although people who do these things exist, in the same way obese people exist.
— Nazan Djemal (@NazDjemal) September 5, 2018
The issue of obesity in Britain is prevalent, with the UK's National Health Service (NHS) spending £6.1 billion on overweight and obesity-related ill-health in 2017-18.
Nearly a third of children aged 2 to 15 in Britain are overweight or obese, with youngsters becoming obese at an earlier age and staying obese for longer.
READ MORE: No Junk Food Ads Before 9PM: New UK Reform to Stop Childhood Obesity
Tess Holiday describes herself as "American model plus size model & body positivity ambassador," has previously appeared on the cover of People Magazine, LA Weekly and has been named one of the world's top plus models by Vogue Italia.
