According to E Online, Tyra Banks, host of America's Next Top Model, was incensed at the parading of her allegedly fat photos in the media. In the photographs, Banks is shown wearing a bathing suit published with captions such as "America's Next Top Waddle" and "Tyra Porkchops". The former supermodel has undeniably gained a few pounds since her catwalk-strutting days but is still far from the word "fat".
To stress a point, she put on the same bathing suit on her popular talk show, The Tyra Banks Show, and flaunted her physique which seems to still be in proportion. And to top it all, she posed in a bathing suit for the cover of People magazine under the title "You Call This Fat?" Banks then stated that the supposedly unflattering photos that the tabloids keep mocking are simply the result of tricky camera angles. She also openly talked about the graveness of women's weight and specifically how it affects women with low self-respect, a subject she addresses quite a bit on The Tyra Banks Show. Banks stated, "I am so inspired by the positive feedback from today's 'Tyra Show' and I hope this is the start of a movement that will change the way women think about their bodies. I want people to learn to say, 'So What!' to the images they see in the magazines and on television that tell them that any weight gain is ugly and that super skinny is beautiful. "This is my call to action for all media to join me in promoting healthy body images and be responsible in recognizing that their negative words and photographs have a lasting impact on young women everywhere." As the host and creator of America's Next Top Model, Tyra Banks is a notable advocate of accepting and being comfortable with one's body. Even as a producer of the show, she constantly incorporates aspiring models who are heavier than the average model. Even off the catwalk, Tyra Banks continues to inspire women and turn the media's derision of her weight into a personal and social issue on the behalf of women who are comfortable or are striving to be comfortable with their bodies. For Tyra Banks, candidness and courage, she should be embraced and not derided.