Bold, big, and proud; three words which describe Tess Holliday’s presence. Recently there has been a seismic shift in conventional modelling, and Tess’s new face is more than just a breath of fresh air into the soulless size 0, stick thin and 6ft tall repressive modelling industry. But Tess has aroused controversy; at size 22, this is a quantum leap for the modelling world, where plus size is anything after a size 8/10.

One of the problems facing Tess is, despite her gorgeous style and edgy tattoos, society has a problem with ‘fat’. We associate fat in a purely negative sense; you are lazy, worthless, selfish, and greedy. More importantly the controversy surrounding Tess has been more a campaign against her glorifying an ‘unhealthy lifestyle’. Of course, obesity does come with a range of risks: heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and those suffering from obesity are more likely to suffer from depression. Sure, many other models and celebrities who are not a size 22 engage in activities which are not considered ‘healthy’. Drinking, smoking, and stress also come with added risks, yet their lifestyles are rarely questioned and only in extreme cases are bought to attention.

Yet are Tess’s critics genuinely concerned for her health? Indeed there are many inherent prejudices which our society has against body image, we consider anything not classed as ‘normal’ to be abnormal therefore unhealthy. Whilst Tess’s size does put her at greater risk of obesity related illnesses, we should question our definition of what constitutes a healthy body, what even is ‘normal’, when the preferred body type has been and continues to be in constant flux. But with mounting pressure to look a certain way and be a certain shape, society fails to recognise our achievements, our ambitions, our dreams. Instead, we are classified by our body image; the labelling of ‘plus size’ perpetuates this attitude. Tess isn’t glorifying ‘fat’ or encouraging obesity – blame the fast food takeouts, global branding, sugary drinks and our inactive lifestyles for the destruction of our health. Tess is simply making a point – a big point.

That before anyone else can love you, you must learn to love and respect yourself.