Apparently Michelle is “Plus Size” and That’s OK [VIDEO]

I am not a skinny blonde. Never have been. Most of my friends are, however. That fact has never made me feel as if I've needed a hug from national retailers or anyone else for that matter. Which brings me to the new ad campaign from Lane Bryant.

It is based on the hashtag #PlusIsEqual and that we're all beautiful...blah, blah, blah. I get it.

Lane Bryant has been catering to "plus size" women for years. Even though I've never shopped at Lane Bryant, I absolutely despise the term "plus size". It's a crappy phrase used for any size clothing over a 12 equivalent.

Apparently, I'm a "plus size". News to me. I'll let you in on a little secret - everything in my freakin' closet is size 12 or 14.

I'm a short chick (5' 2") who has an ass, hips and boobs. Decent size ones, thank you very much. These "sturdy" legs of mine helped win a state soccer championship once upon a time. They've never been twigs. I wore a 12 back then too.

According to the tag on the new campaign:

67% of US women are size 14-34. But they’re underrepresented on billboards, magazines, TV… everywhere. We believe all women should be seen and celebrated equally.

I couldn't agree more. So sure, most Americans (women AND men) could stand to lose a few pounds. Let's stop lying on our driver's licenses. Don't wear yoga pants out of the house unless you're going to a yoga class. Buy clothes that fit properly and accentuate your body and show off your healthy curves.

But I take issue with exact numbers defining what the hell a "plus size" is...not because I apparently AM one but because many women can become absolutely mentally crippled by labels like that when they're not necessarily deserved.

I'd argue this  - People KNOW when they're big. Or overweight. Or plus-size. Or fat. Or whatever the hell we want to call it. Businesses don't need to remind people that just because they sell larger sizes, they are catering to us "plus size" folks. That pains my sensibility. There's a pretty significant grey area here, even though it's not Lane Bryant's fault......I'm just using this particular ad campaign as an example.

If we need to lose some significant weight to become healthy, let's do it. There's no denying obesity is a nationwide problem for a couple of generations. I would just ask that this serious issue isn't turned into a source of constant anxiety for perfectly normal, healthy women with hips, an ass and boobs.