Like most women in the first world, plus-size model Ashley Graham is damned if she gains weight, damned if she loses weight.
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The model, who is also a body activist and fashion designer, has penned an essay for Lenny after she was criticised for posting a photo to Instagram that made her appear smaller than her size 16 frame.
"According to the comments, some people were upset because I appeared to be slimmer. (Knowing my angles is one thing, but I must be a magician to make people think I went from a size 14 to a size 6 in a week!) The reality is I haven't lost a pound this year. In fact, I'm actually heavier than I was three years ago, but I accept my body as it is today," she said.
The shot was of Graham on set of America's Next Top Model, a show where she is a judge, wearing a white crop top and skirt and jacket by Balmain.
"I didn't give it a second thought when I posted it, but soon the image went viral. Not because of how good I looked wearing a high-end designer that doesn't usually market to women my size, but because of people's misguided views on women's bodies and who owns the rights to them," she wrote.
Graham was the first "plus-size" model, a model who is larger than a size 10, to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated's popular swimsuit issue this year.
"To some I'm too curvy. To others I'm too tall, too busty, too loud, and, now, too small – too much, but at the same time not enough. When I post a photo from a 'good angle', I receive criticism for looking smaller and selling out. When I post photos showing my cellulite, stretch marks, and rolls, I'm accused of promoting obesity. The cycle of body-shaming needs to end. I'm over it."
