Internet star says being overweight doesn’t mean she’s unhealthy

Jun 1, 2012 17:41 GMT  ·  By
Plus-size fashion blogger Gabi Gregg says “fatkini” movement doesn't promote obesity
   Plus-size fashion blogger Gabi Gregg says “fatkini” movement doesn't promote obesity

Over the weekend, the “fatkini” movement went viral. Fashion blogger Gabi Gregg, who happens to be plus-size, posted photos of herself in a 2-piece swimsuit, aiming to tell women like her that they should not be ashamed of their body. She's now addressing critics in a new interview on The Today show.

While many regular-sized and plus-sized women embraced Gabi's initiative to promote body diversity (some of them even sent her pics to include in her “fatkini” gallery), there were also those who pointed out that, with it, she was basically promoting an unhealthy lifestyle.

By being overweight and obviously proud of it and, most importantly, by telling other overweight women that this was the right body size, Gabi is basically promoting obesity, her critics said.

On The Today show, the blogger addresses all these matters, while also stressing that she's not encouraging anyone to do anything than to try to find happiness within themselves.

Video of her appearance on the show is below, embedded at the end of the article.

“I’m all for health. I think people should be really aware of what they’re putting in their bodies and try to get more active,” she says.

“The truth is, we have to live in our bodies and be happy with the bodies we have right now, regardless of where we are in our journey to health,” Gabi adds.

She explains that she's currently happy with her body but, at the same time, that she's working on becoming healthier, which isn't related to a desire to lose weight.

“My measure for health is how good I feel. The main thing is to judge how you feel and what you’re putting into your body, how active you are and not based on a number on a scale,” she says.

“I love my body,” Gabi adds, explaining her bold act of stripping for the camera and the millions of people online. “I think we should kind of reject these fashion rules about what we are and about what we are not allowed to wear.”

In other words, the only statement she tried to make with her “fatkini” gallery was that even fat girls can look fabulous in a 2-piece swimsuit.