The original American Idol, singer and occasional actress Kelly Clarkson is featured on the cover of the current issue of Self Magazine, looking somewhat slimmer than she does in real life, and certainly more radiant in the face than it’s humanly possible. As ET Online points out, the mag might have Photoshopped a few pounds away from Clarkson’s frame, which means a “cover controversy” on whether she’s too fat or not is about to explode.

The singer has often spoken out on her fluctuating weight, always insisting that she was not bothered in any way by it unless it affected her health – which it did not do so far. At the same time, Kelly has shown she knows her image does not quite fit the standards in the industry – not by far actually, but that she’s ok with it, even with the criticism it draws to her. If people have an issue with her weight, then the problem is theirs, she has repeatedly said.

With this in mind, having Self Photoshop her within an inch of her life would be rather scandalous, ET points out, since it would send out the wrong message. The mag, for one, admits to altering the photo, but not in too significant ways. “Yes, of course we do post-production corrections on our images. SELF magazine inspires and informs our 6 million readers each month to reach their all around best. Kelly Clarkson exudes confidence, and is a great role model for women of all sizes and stages of their life. She works out and is strong and healthy, and our picture shows her confidence and beauty. She literally glows from within. That is the feeling we’d all want to have. We love this cover and we love Kelly Clarkson.” Editor-in-Chief Lucy Danziger tells ET, stressing that whether and to what extent an image is altered is actually a choice on the part of the publication.

In all fairness, several other US publications point out, Kelly Clarkson is still not a size 0, looking more like an average girl than most celebrities on the scene at the moment. From this, one can conclude that her photo might not have been retouched that much, except for the face, which suddenly has that humanly impossible glow, it is being said. And, even if the image bears only little resemblance to reality, it still doesn’t mean that Kelly has somehow gone back on her word since it was not she who had to decide that she must look slimmer.

“My happy weight changes. Sometimes I eat more; sometimes I play more. I’ll be different sizes all the time. When people talk about my weight, I’m like, ‘You seem to have a problem with it; I don’t. I’m fine!’ I’ve never felt uncomfortable on the red carpet or anything.” Kelly Clarkson says in the accompanying Self interview. This, as fans must know, is the same young woman who also said of the cover for her album “All I Ever Wanted” that it was Photoshopped to death, adding, “but I don’t care! Whoever she is, she looks great.”