Just wanted to post my thoughts about this....soapbox mode ON. (Also, full disclaimer, I am NOT a skinny person, I currently weigh about 260 pounds and do NOT think I'm healthy at this weight and would NOT want to be on any magazine.)
So I've been seeing some twitter friends posting their support of this cover and I have a lot of thoughts on this.
First, I have NO problem with women who are a bit overweight as part of natural body shapes being on the cover of a magazine. That should be encouraged and we should be getting away from super skinny women only and highly photoshopped models.
I also don't think this kind of thing would be happening in most other countries, it's very much a U.S. thing and I expect the rest of the world seeing this are shaking their heads.
EDIT: I suppose I have to make a correction....turns out this was on the cover of the UK edition
Then there's the defenders of this...."OMG, body positivity" and "you're beautiful at any size" and the big one "If only I saw a woman like this when I was growing up".........no, that's not the right way of thinking.
Taking the idea that there's too many skinny, photoshopped models and swinging WILDLY the other way is NOT the right answer.
I know there's been a lot of talk on the right about people needing to be coddled and have their "safe spaces" but seriously, Men AND Women need to get mentally stronger and not be like "being this fat is OK because I can't deal with the ability to get thinner and I can still be a model on the cover of a leading magazine"......then I hear "some people can't lose weight for _____ reason"....that's fine, but we don't have to promote it as a positive thing for the 90% of others.
I have no problem with this woman or her situation, I have a problem with the idea that ironically, because she has a pretty face she can be on the cover...which seems to be simultaneously judging and not judging based on looks.
It just seems to promote "hey, be as fat as you want"