Iza Calzado salutes plus-size model on UK magazine cover

A plus-size model on the cover of Cosmopolitan U.K. made waves, with mixed reactions greeting the magazine’s bold move.

A number of women expressed Tess Holliday’s feature as a welcome change, taking their sentiments online for representing a size 24 body — and in a skin-baring one-piece swimsuit at that.

One of them was actress Iza Calzado, who has been vocal about body positivity.

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“This is the kind of magazine cover that I wish I saw as an obese teen growing up filled with insecurities and not feeling worthy to be called beautiful much less be worthy of being on the cover of a magazine one day,” said Calzado in an Instagram post on Friday, Aug. 31.

“I celebrate her confidence! I can’t wait for this to happen in the Philippines!” she added.

Inevitably, there were critics of the cover whose main argument was that it promoted obesity. Still, it did not faze Calzado, who explained her side of why she appreciated the cover.

One commenter Zahz Tolentino (@zahzporadic) questioned Tess Holliday for supposedly getting angry at a doctor for telling her to lose weight. “Tessa (sic) Holliday is not even close to a role model.”

“I give a lot of credit for people who work hard for their health and fitness. I like to see more fat people exercise and work hard to manage their weight. And not tolerate this kind of behavior,” the commenter said, seemingly unaware that Holliday does work out at the gym.

The model has reportedly been shamed for going to the gym and stood up to trolls about her exercise habits, as per her October 2017 Instagram post.

Calzado remained positive in her reply: “I believe it’s her confidence that’s being celebrated here, not her health. I did see that she has begun working out with THE [personal trainer] @massy.arias (Massy Arias) who is strong and healthy and is a fitspiration so I hope she is already on track and already taking charge of her health and fitness. Thanks for the love for me. We all just want a healthy world, mind body and spirit not just body.”

A netizen named Kline (@klinemolan) gave a more critical perspective, stating that Calzado would not have been successful if she were obese: “If you were an obese teen and you saw this, you would delude yourself that being this fat is perfectly acceptable and even beautiful… Do you really think na magiging successful artista (that you would become a successful actress) that you are now if you weighed like the one in the cover?”

Calzado shared her experience of starving herself to achieve an ideal of a “thin and sexy” body and acknowledged that as an obese teen, she did not immediately pursue her dream of becoming an actress because of her size.

“Size should not be a hindrance to performing, expression and entertaining people,” she asserted. “I just wish we would also celebrate those who are confident enough to celebrate their bodies no matter the size.”

Others were encouraged by Holliday’s feature and defended the cover beyond the supposed health concern some people had.

“We are not condoning ‘unhealthy lifestyle.’ We are learning to accept all body types!” explained Laureen (@lgpurvis). “Just because someone is overweight, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the person is living an unhealthy lifestyle. Genetic predisposition plays a role too…no more body shaming—overweight or thin!”

One Annalyn Ardoña (@pinaytraveler) said, “Just my two cents: This is clearly obesity and everyone knows that is not healthy. But Cosmo is not a health magazine, it’s a beauty and fashion magazine. I love what this cover represents: that you are beautiful no matter what size you are, that our bodies change after seasons of aging and childbirth and that’s okay…Time for women to stop beating themselves up for not having the supermodel body.”

Fellow actresses expressed support for the cover too.

Kris Bernal gave a thumbs up to Calzado’s post: “I couldn’t agree more!”

Actress Ruby Rodriguez said, “Oh how I wish Philippines will look at ‘us’ plus size this way.” JB

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