A super model is spreading a pointed message to women, especially young girls, that you don't have to be rail thin to be attractive.
That's a message that has to overcome constant images to the contrary on television, in magazines and on screen.
Emme, a super model and tv personality, says children and women are being bombarded with unhealthy body images.
"It would be so lovely to have a woman say, 'I really love myself. I love my mind, body and spirit.' And how many women do you know that say that? There are very, very few. It's almost like training yourself like a dog," said Emme, a plus-sized model.
She is spreading her message at lectures like one on Wednesday night at Moore College of Art and Design.
The lecture was sponsored by an organization called "A Chance to Heal." Its mission is to reduce eating disorders.
"I realize that you have to be very careful about what you say to your daughters about, 'you're not thin enough' or 'you need to lose weight' or 'don't eat that, it'll make you fat," said Veena Aggarwal of Wayne.
"Every magazine that you open up tells you that you don't look pretty enough. You're not thin enough," added Toni Montgue of Jenkintown.
Emme shot to fame by not being dangerously thin. As a plus-sized model at 5 foot 11, she embraces her size 16 frame.
She touts the fact that she had a burial service for her scale and has erased the word "diet" from her vocabulary.
"Being a size 16, size 14--I had a child, and I've slowly lost all the weight of delivering my child by eating well and not stressing," she explained. "And I think I'm having long-lasting weight loss because of that--and also a piece of mind, that I'm doing it my way."
Emme makes another appearance at Norristown High School on Thursday morning.
