What A Real Woman
Looks Like
Elizabeth Hurly, a popular actress who fits Hollywood's ideal of the 'perfect' woman, once said that while she
thought Marilyn Monroe was beautiful, she would kill herself if she was that 'fat.' Of course, Hurly isn't the only
one to think that the 5'5 135 pound bombshell was overweight. In various studies conducted among high schoolers,
girls and especially boys thought she was too overweight.
Such thinking is sad and ignorant, since not only was Marilyn Monroe NOT overweight, but she had a body that
exemplified the features that are more common for REAL women. Weight-wise, her BMI was 22.5, which is deemed as
'normal.' In terms of body shape, she had what is typical for women of child-bearing age: smaller waist, big hips
and big thighs. Indeed, although Marilyn Monroe is viewed as being too 'fat' by today's standards, she was actually
very healthy, both back then and now.
But anyway, as hard as it might be for many to accept, the Marilyn Monroe body is what is common for most
American women, who nowadays actually weigh more than her, (at 5'3 and 163 pounds). Skinner 'Marilyn Monroe's'
won't be as thick as her, but they will still have bigger thighs and hips. It is through this extra body fat that
allows women the necessary energy they need when they are carrying babies.
To get an idea of what an average woman's body looks like (at least in Western cultures), one can look at the
picture on the next page:
What is the average woman's body for someone that is not in Western culture and/or for persons that
are naturally skinny anyway? Well, again, a woman that is naturally skinny will still have curves. Her bones won't
stick out, except for maybe a very slight protrusion of the ribs, (which is normal at smaller weights). Her thighs
will still be bigger along with her hips. Most of all she will still look healthy, despite being smaller. Below,
one can look at two pictures, one of a smaller woman that still fits the image of what a real woman looks like,
along with an anorexic woman.
Go on to
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