DIET | DETECTIVE^®

It seems like fitness and general skinniness have taken a backseat to mental health lately. Between celebs checking into rehab (Kirsten Dunst, Amy Winehouse, Eva Mendes, Sean Young) and celebs visiting psych wards (Britney Spears, Justin Chambers, Delta Burke) there’s barely any time to obsess over who’s gained or lost what. So, that’s my excuse for reporting on Miss America .

Kirsten Haglund, who took home the crown in this year's revamped contest, says she struggled with an eating disorder three years ago, until her parents made her see a doctor. "I would feel fatigued walking up six stairs," she says. "I was a completely different person."

But here's where I always cringe at anorexia stories. She goes on to say, "You have to have curves. You can't look like a stick-thin model."

I know, I know—that's supposed to be an affirmation that curves are beautiful. And they are. But there’s a big difference between "you don’t have to be a stick-thin model" and "you can't be a stick-thin model." The latter just perpetuates the idea that there's only one true body ideal.

Look at it this way—if someone said "you have to be skinny," it would cause an uproar. So why is the opposite okay? Because it insults fewer people? In reality, "you have to have curves" is the kind of statement that pads the pockets of plastic surgeons. While it's true that not everyone should be aiming for a size zero, there's no need to knock down women who are naturally skinny.

Naturally is the key word here. It’s one thing to worry when Tara Reid or Nicole Richie suddenly loses their natural curves. But what about the woman who eats five meals a day, jogs a few times a week, and can’t seem to break into whole-numbered jeans? They do exist. I'm not one of them—most people aren't—but they’re out there, and degrading them doesn’t help anything. "Curvy" has sort of become the school bully.

I should reiterate that I do think curves are fab. (Hey, I haven't been a size zero since fourth grade.) And I'm totally not bashing Kirsten or undermining her struggle with anorexia. Props to her for getting the help she needed and spreading the word to other girls. But when you have a platform to speak out about unfair body ideals, you need to choose your words carefully—or risk creating a whole new set of insecurities.

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