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The Phenomenom of Vanity Sizing |
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 Recently, one of my clients emailed me concerned that she had gained weight while on vacation out of the country. She noted this while shopping for clothes outside of the United States. She was confused because her weight was the same, but she had to buy larger sizes. Many of us have experienced this phenomenon while traveling; a size small in the US may be the equivalent to a size medium in Canada.
Shopping for clothes these days can feel like a game, “What size will I fit today?” A size 8 at the GAP could be a size 6 at Anne Taylor, and YIPPEE! You’re a size 4 at Target. If you find yourself bewildered and can’t figure out what size you really are, you are not alone. How can we know what size we are when there is no Standardized Size in the US? In the 1940’s US standard clothing sizes were set, but as Americans we have “outgrown” those standard sizes. The clothing companies have kept us happy with the number on the tag over the past seventy years by “vanity sizing”. “Vanity sizing” has literally manipulated a size 12 into a size 6. As we continue to “super size” our meals and our waistlines expand we can somehow keep wearing the same size pants. Savvy clothing manufacturers understand that women prefer buying smaller sizes and don’t want move into “plus sizes”. We have seen the creation of a size 0 and even a size 00! This is due to the fact that thin women who in the past may have worn size 2, 4 or even 6 have been “downsized” to the 0. What’s next the -1?
Travel to other parts of the world where this "feel-good" size manipulation has not infiltrated clothing tags and you will realize we have, in large part, a nation in denial of our true size. Think about the icon Marilyn Monroe, often referred to as a curvy size 12, but her measurements 35-22-35 are much closer to today’s size 2.
A size is a size is a size; it’s just a number. Ultimately the reality is that the size isn’t important. We have much more important things to concern ourselves with than what size we wear. We need to face the fact that we are experiencing an obesity crisis today. We need to be realistic about our size, honest about our health, and aware of what we can do to achieve optimum health. I believe a healthy body is a fit body, and that we need to set goals for fitness, endurance, flexibility, and strength to enjoy our lives. These are the qualities that increase our enjoyment of living and breathing on this planet, and these qualities do not have a size. We know we have them by the way we feel.
Stay healthy, and keep moving and breathing in joy!
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Ashley Marriott has been a professional in the field of fitness for more than 14 years. She is the creator of Burn ‘N Firm, a popular DVD full body cardio dance workout series. She is dedicated to using her experience and energy to educate and encourage people to reach their fitness goals. Her dedication to empower others through fitness led her to write the book, Dump Your Trainer.
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