Running Towards Diversity

Women’s Running Magazine is making strides…. Literally! In their April issue, for the second time in the magazine’s history, a plus size women is gracing the cover. Even though this is only the second time it is still important to recognize that there is some diversity in terms of body shapes and sizes being celebrated by certain media outlets. The cover girl, Nadia Aboulhosn, is a 27-year-old plus-size model who has been working hard at forging a career in modeling; this is one of her ‘big breaks’. She follows in the footsteps of Erica Schenk who was the first plus-size women to appear on the cover of Women’s Running Magazine. Hopefully, this is the beginning of celebrating athletes of all shapes and sizes.

This cover also seems to debunk some myths about women who fall in this plus-size category. There are many stereotypes that surround this group, a prominent one being that ‘they don’t work out’. The stereotype that they are lazy people who just eat junk food is wrong and outdated. This cover is not only debunking that stereotype and myth, but is encouraging positive body image. I think that this is such an encouraging magazine cover. It’s spreading body positivity and celebrating different body types. In a world where women have so much pressure from mainstream media to be stick thin, this is a reminder that beauty comes in many forms. It also suggests that fitness does not discriminate people based on weight or size; everyone can be healthy and fit.