Plus-sized beauties go au naturel for Glamour’s November issue. Photo: Matthias Vriens–McGrath for Glamour.
The only thing wrong with this photo is they forgot to include me! Just kidding of course! BUT… If this had happened 38 years ago and I had been asked to participate, I would have considered it (as long as my very strict Father never found out). These women are gorgeous, their bodies appear curvy, healthy and sexy, and the photograph is tastefully done.
When I entered my teenage years, I started feeling self conscious about my weight. My Mother, a former model, was tall and willowy. I was built more like the women on my Father’s side. I wore a size 12, had a voluptuous chest and a large derriere. I tried to diet but never lost more than a few pounds at a time. I walked, rode a bicycle and danced but my body stayed the same. I used to look in the mirror and hate what I saw.
When I think back to those years, I realize that the only person who ever suggested I was overweight was my Mother. I never heard it from other family members, friends, boyfriends, teachers or anyone else. I used to look at magazine ads and see size zero models and think, “My Mother is right. I am a fat girl.” Twiggy was the hottest model of our generation and it made me very uncomfortable to look at myself in comparison.
Recently, I added a few lines in my comedy act about growing up with a Mother who complained about my weight.
One day when I was 16, my Mother said, “Debi, your tush is so big, the only guy you’ll ever attract will be Latino.” I looked at my Mother and laughed, “ Gosh Mom, that’s really intimidating…We live in Miami!”
Years later, my Mother apologized for making such an issue about my size. She said she never meant any harm and thought (at the time) that she was doing the right thing by encouraging me to lose weight. I believed her. By that time, I had two sons and two daughters of my own. I had made every effort to raise my children to love who they were on the inside and outside.
Having my beloved Mother wrap her arms around me and tell me at 40 years old that I was and had always been beautiful was one of the best gifts she ever gave me.
