Want to check out quarterback Collin Kapernick’s chiseled abs or Kerri Walsh’s incredible post-pregnancy physique? Buy a copy of ESPN the Magazine’s fifth annual “Body Issue” when it hits newsstands today and you can.
Based on pre-released online pictures, there is no doubt that the bodies contained in the “Body Issue” will be impressive.
The female bodies are skinny and the male bodies are chiseled beyond belief. If a purchaser of the magazine did not know better, he or she could reasonably conclude that there is no such thing as a plus-sized athlete.
This begs the question, is ESPN the Magazine being irresponsible in failing to publish photographs of larger athletic bodies? As far as I’m concerned, the answer is yes.
By presenting America with an incomplete array of bodies, ESPN the Magazine damages the psyches of young athletes across the country and precipitates America’s obsession with the quote unquote perfect body.
AN INCOMPLETE PICTURE
Since ESPN the Magazine began publishing the “Body Issue” five years ago, numerous impressive bodies have been featured. NFL skill players, Olympic gymnasts and tennis players have been a mainstay. With a few exceptions however, NFL linemen, Olympic weight lifters and heavyweight fighters have yet to be featured.
The bottom line is, heavier athletes do not make the cut. An NFL lineman weighing more than 300 pounds is unlikely to be featured regardless of how well he performs. Similarly, a female Olympic weight lifter with thick, muscular legs would never be photographed.
The shame of this is that heavy athletes are no less impressive than light ones. Nothing is more impressive than watching a massive man run around a football field or a muscular woman lift huge amounts of weight.
The bottom line is, success in sports is not size specific. Even so, “The Body Issue” continually features certain kinds of bodies while excluding others, thereby presenting readers with an incomplete picture of athletic physiques.
AN IRRESPONSIBLE PICTURE
The shame of it is that the magazine’s failure to feature plus-sized bodies is irresponsible and has far reaching societal effects.
Young athletes browsing the “Body Issue” are led to believe that smaller is better. For larger athletes aspiring to do great things, such a belief cannot be positive.
According to a 2007 study published in the Journal of Adolescence, between 65 and 85 percent of girls feel negatively about their body shape and size. I can’t help but think that the size-specific bodies featured in ESPN the Magazine’s “Body Issue” do nothing to help that problem.
Ultimately, I believe that it is up to ESPN and similar media outlets to begin to create a more realistic picture of the human physique. I would urge the “Body Issue” to feature more NFL linemen and more Olympic weight lifters. Instead of sweeping plus-sized athletes under the rug, celebrate their accomplishments and celebrate their bodies. In doing so, it might be possible to improve young people’s perceptions of themselves and prove to America that more than one type of body is beautiful.
Ian MacLaren is the Journal’s sports editor.
