DEBATE - Is ’full figure’ an insult or a compliment?

DEBATE

Is ’full figure’ an insult or a compliment?

Her glamorous role in Mad Men apart, Hollywood star Christina Hendricks is famous for her curvaceous body. A red carpet favourite, she has often spoken about Hollywood’s obsession and stereotypical view of voluptuous women. Recently, during an interview, when an Australian reporter referred to Christina as “full-figured”, the red-haired beauty was livid, and commented that the term was “rude”. We ask people in the business of glamour and sports what they think — is the term flattering for a woman or just a euphemism for being overweight?
FOR “When I think of full-figured women, the one name that instantly comes to mind is of Italian actress Sophia Loren, who has been one of the hottest women in the world. So if someone called me a full-figured woman, I’d be thrilled and take it as a compliment!”
    — Lillete Dubey, actress “Before the whole ‘size-zero’ obsession became a vogue, it was only curvy women who were considered beautiful. I firmly believe that calling an Indian woman full-figured is a compliment. She should take it in a positive way.“
    — Vijay Kumar,
    shooter,
    Olympic medallist “I think being curvy is extremely sexy, especially since I fit into that category! Women who are called full-figured should be happy because it simply means that they are gorgeous. One should never think of it as an insult.”
    — Neha Dhupia,
    actress AGAINST “After being around women for years, I’ve realised one thing — never comment on their shape and size! Women are touchy about their weight. ‘Full-figured’ is not a compliment at all. And the notion that Indian men prefer full-figured women is wrong. They love all kinds of women.”
— Vir Das, comedian “It’s definitely not flattering. The phrase makes one feel large and plus-sized, as opposed to words like ‘curvaceous’ and ‘voluptuous’, which are more complimentary. Also, when you call someone full-figured, it doesn’t make her feel sexy at all!”
— Sophie Choudry, singer “It’s one thing to describe a woman’s body as ‘hourglass’, but calling her full-figured is definitely an insult. Since most women follow the trend ‘Thin is in’, calling them something that denotes being plump, is not flattering.”
— Alyque Padamsee, social commentator