UK ‘weight loss guru’ criticises ‘plus-size’ model Tess Holliday
A BRITISH TV host has called for a plus size social media campaign to be banned, arguing it could be “life-threatening”.
A BRITISH TV host has called for a plus-size social media campaign to be banned, arguing it could be “life-threatening”.
Steve Miller, a self-described “weight loss guru”, is the host of UK’s Fat Families and calls himself the “#1 straight talking mindset and motivation weight loss master”.
“Plus-size” model Tessa Holliday is the face of UK retailer Simply Be’s Catwalk Contender campaign, which encourages women to upload photos of themselves online for the chance to win a modelling contract. Holliday, 29, is a body image advocate with 1.8 million social media followers.
But Miller says the Simple Be campaign should be banned. “Any plus-size campaign is irresponsible and could be life-threatening,” he told The Mirror.
“This campaign should be banned and all plus-size campaigners formally warned that any online promotion of fat as acceptable will result in prosecution. The only thing this campaign does for women is increase their health risks to make them potentially die early.
“Plus-size supporters should think about calling themselves ‘cancer contractors’ because promoting fat as acceptable is actually endorsing significant health risks including cancer, stroke, and heart disease. Perhaps it is time for the plus-size campaigners to visit the cancer wards and realise the potential harm they are doing,” Miller said.
Miller argues plus-size campaigns are just as damaging as ads featuring underweight models, such as the YSL advertisement banned by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority last week.
“Tess Holliday’s ego trip about being fat and proud is an advert for women to love themselves literally to death,” Miller continued.
“She needs to get a grip and realise that being fat for many means an early wheelchair and chemotherapy. Her arrogance is abundant and the best thing she should do is show the world how losing weight is good for confidence and health.
“I don’t believe for one minute that she is happy and fat, more like depressed in denial. I hope she sees the light soon before its too late and quits putting out the message that fat is cool because it’s not.”
Holliday, who has a nine-year-old son, has yet to respond to Miller’s comments, but frequently fights against hatred directed towards larger women.
“There is no such thing as a perfect body and the hardest barrier for women to overcome is themselves,” she said on Simple Be’s US website. “And no wonder, considering the skinny body ideals that are portrayed widely across the media today.
“When people are telling you, ‘You’re fat and gross’, it does the complete opposite,” she told PEOPLE. “At the end of the day, they’re not paying my bills.”