Miss England finalist a role model?

[AB Asks]

She is aged sixteen and a size sixteen. She is the first girl of her size to reach the finals for Miss England; she has broken the mould and says she wants to be an 'ambassador for curves.' However, the young girl has critics who claim she is not a good role model for anyone, claiming she is a 'poster girl for ill health'. What do you think?

[mrs_overall]

I can't be doing with all these size zero annorexics, but this girl (Miss Surrey) has gone the other way. She's not curvy, she's FAT. Her BMI is too high and she is overweight for her height. Hardly a good role model.

[daffy654]

Very pretty young lady but could do with losing a stone or so.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/a rticle.html?in_article_id=554870&in_page_id=18 79

[MrXLA]

she is not an 'ambassador for curves' nor is she a suitable role model for young ladies

[~max~]

I agree with Daffy, she's very pretty, and in proportions, and looks absolutely stunning in that dress in the link. However, she is undeniably overweight, not just "curvy". This isn't a good example to follow either, although I'm all for bigger girls gaining the confidence they deserve! I should know, I'm one of them! lol

[knobbynonuty]

Max is this you loll.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?vi3x4C1fJcUk

big girls dont cry.

[~max~]

OMG! That guy is flippin scary! lol

[4getmenot]

at 17 I wouldnt want to be a size 16, she isnt ugly but I;d say she is overweight but there are girls underweight. Think they should scrap Miss England all together. I mean who says someone is pretty or not.

[Scarlett]

No difference between this and a plus sized model. Maybe they are trying to be PC now. having said that, Sophie Dahl was the same and look at her now.

[beanebabe]

Size 16 - mmmm and the rest! My Mum wears a 16 and she's no where near as big!

[SRH]

Funnily enough, Sophie Dahl was a 14 at her biggest - and she's 6ft tall - so was still pretty slim compared to 'normal' people.

As for the Miss England girl; when I heard I thought 'you go girl', then I saw her on TV. She was sat down with her back to the camera and all you could see was an enormous roll of fat hanging over her bra. Ew, backfat!

At that age that amount of fat isn't good. To get to that size at that age when your metabolism is still going like a steam train takes some doing. It's one thing to hold up normal size women as role models (which I'm 100% behind) but no matter how you dress it up, being fat is unhealthy and not something we should encourage youngsters to be. (and she doesn't have a cat in hell's chance of winning)

[Scarlett]

Sophie Dahl may have been a 14 but can you remember how she carried her weight? She was very much an "apple" shape, with thin legs and a big middle- still very controversial for a model!
http://kr.img.blog.yahoo.com/ybi/1/0f/e4/sk_y2 k/folder/25657/img_25657_51745?20031130005800. jpg

[holly coffin]

I think that is very cruel.Just because someone is over weight, doesn't mean they are unhealthy or ugly. In fact, I know a few overweight people who are both healthy and beautiful!!!

[ChocolatChip]

Sorry, Hoffy Coffin. You can't be 'healthy' and 'overweight'
But overweight isn't healthy. Being overweight risks a huge amount of health problems, diabetes, heart disease, heart attacks.
Being beautiful will be the least of her problems when she's thirty.
I'm hugely interested in this kind of thing. Especially with my past.
And I don't think she's confident, she's vain, and I think her personality is pretty OTT. Seems like she's hiding something.
I agree with 4getmenot. Scrap the competition!

[Octavius]

I think role models (and people generally) should be defined by their words and actions, not looks.

Naomi Campbell may be the complete opposite of this girl, but I would suggest Naomi is a worse role model.