JUST AS

Beaut ful a
The UK’s first free Lifestyle Magazine dedicated to the plus-size woman

MAY 2008
Issue 16

Anna Scholz
Credit Crunch On Fashion
Holiday Following
Dreams
Amy Lamé “Weight-Loss Surgery
Exclusive Killed My Lover”

Personal Makeover Staying In Control BBW News

 a 3. Amy Lamé Exclusive

4. Health

7. Following Dreams

9. BBW NEWS

12. Fashion
Anna Scholz Exclusive

23. Lifestyle

28. True Story

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 Amy Lamé
Over the past few years, Amy Lamé
has become a very recognisable
face in the British media. From her
radio programme on the BBC, to her
countless television appearances
(The Wright Stuff, Loose Women,
Celebrity Fit Club, Celebrity Poker,
The One Show, Richard and Judy,
Celebrity Big Brother's Big
Mouth to name just a few),
Amy is constantly busy, and
enjoying it too. When asked
how best describe herself,
she said: “Writer,
broadcaster, performer and
all round chubby glamour
puss. That encapsulates
everything.” Although
originally from the USA, she
has been living in London for
well over a decade. “I came
over here 15 years ago -
when I was a youngster really.
I had just turned 21 and had
finished university. I worked in
the USA for six months then
came over here on a work
permit and never went back.
“I became a UK citizen last
year; I took my test, past and
got my passport and
everything,” she says happily.
But does she really like it here?
“I love it. My whole life is here
now. You know, when you're young
you travel around and think, 'where
might I settle?' I had never been to
London before I came here. I was in
London for half a day and for some
reason I just got it into my head that
London was the place for me. I just
felt very drawn to being here. It's
vibrant and culturally diverse. You
can be who you want to be in
London, and that's what really
appealed to me,” she said.
According to Amy, when it comes
to issues relating to size and weight,
there is only a slight difference in
the way size (or self) acceptance is
seen in the USA and UK. “First of all
there are more fat people in
America than there are here. I think
that because of the 'size' (no pun
intended) of the country, and of
the sheer population that are
considered larger than normal,
there is quite a political edge to
being fat in America. People in
America are 'joiners' by nature; they
are more about clubs and
associations. For example, if you
were a chubby crotchet player
there would probably be a
subgroup for you. Americans are
really into that. It's a bit like
finding your place in society and
claiming your space (because
there is more space in America).
“However, the flip side of that is
that if there is any criticism at all
about being fat people tend to
ignore it, often at the expense of
health. Here [in the UK] it is more
laisser-faire. In this country we
tend to wag fingers at fat
people, whereas in the States I
think it's the fat people wagging
their fingers at everyone else,”
she said with a chuckle.”
In the UK, one of the criticisms
against obesity campaigns and
mainstream media is the
reliance on stereotypes and
hard-hitting points of view.
“Being plus-size you have to be
open minded and objective
about things,” says Amy. “Being
severely overweight can be
unhealthy, just like being really
skinny or eating an extremely bad
diet can be unhealthy. What I think
the problem in this country is that
people don't understand that you
can actually be larger and healthy
at the same time. I think that that's
 How To Lose Your Mind -
T
he devilish imp that likes to
chatter on about “lose weight
and make yourself so much
happier” made a surprise
appearance a few weeks ago.
Much as I delight in smothering his
voice with love and laughter, he
chatters so loudly at times that even
I succumb to his flights of fancy.
Common-sense flies out of the
window at the speed of light.
It all started when a dear friend had
lost an amazing amount of weight
by taking a new prescribed drug
called Rimonabant (prescribed
under the 'Acomplia' in the UK); she
was ecstatic, having finally found
something which had helped her to
lose weight and decrease her levels
of insulin by truly incredible amounts.
My GP had mentioned Rimonabant
in passing way back last summer,
knowing that I am very much
against prescribed medication. Still,
I like to find out about different types
of medication which have recently
passed NICE's scrutiny (National
Institute for Clinic Excellence) and
surprise, surprise! As I fall into the
category of 'so obese that every
Not Weight
single minor health issue is your
fault', I was able to take advantage
of this particular drug if I felt it worth
a try.
With so many months having
passed and yes, spurred on by my
friend's astounding change in both
her physical and emotional
wellbeing, I found myself leaving
my GP's surgery clutching a
prescription for one month's supply
of Acomplia in my sticky mitts. The
imp had won! Despite my loathing
of pumping chemicals into my
body, the very idea that maybe
Acomplia was the elixir of life, my
panacea – the remedy to cure all
ills, was just too enticing to resist. My
doctor had given me strict
instructions. Any hint of anxiety,
stop taking them immediately.
What I had chosen to forget – apart
from my personal rule of avoiding
prescribed drugs unless vital -was
that this type of drug had hit the
headlines in 2007 and for all the
wrong reasons. Drug regulators in
the United States had taken the
decision to disapprove this
particular anti-obesity drug for sale
because of concerns regarding
increased risks of suicide. Another
well-known side effect is that of
increased chest infections. In
November 2007, The Lancet – a
prominent medical journal –
reported a study undertaken at the
University of Copenhagen. Their
results showed that from 4,000
patients in four separate clinical
trials, those taking this particular
drug were 40% more likely to suffer
By Callie Carling
from anxiety and depression than
those taking a placebo. A rather
alarming figure but one I had
chosen to discount in a moment of
temporary insanity.
Lo and behold, within a week the
whole family had noticed a distinct
change in my usually-sunny nature.
By week three, it was apparent that
I had to come off them before I
ended up in serious trouble. No
good to man nor beast, I was
plagued by such anxieties and
deeply-troubled thoughts that I was
slipping back into depression; a
place I had long since left behind.
However, there had been no other
side-effects. No sign of nausea,
cramping, unusual bowel
movements or rashes, high blood
pressure, dryness of mouth or
indigestion, all issues that that I had
discovered while taking Xenical
(Orlistat) and Reductil (Sibutramine)
over previous years.
It has taken me over six weeks to
plough through the darkness and
back into the sunshine of my world
where I am happy and well. Since
re-visiting that place of darkness, I
am convinced that nothing in this
world will ever make me try any
such anti-obesity prescribed
'solutions' again. So, for me, it is back
to receiving massages and
continuing with Vianesse daily (to
maintain a healthy balance) and
FatGrabbers (which works in a
similar fashion to Orlistat, by using
natural herbs in a gentle way) when
the Indian restaurant in our local
village beckons.
My friend? Oh, she is making great
headway and sticking with the
treatment because it works for her,
despite a few bumps along the way.
That's the trick -if it works for you,
great! If it doesn't, well, you know
there is a whole world of wonderful
treatments and natural delights out
there which - even if they don't work
for you, as an individual - are still
great fun to test out! You are
beautiful, no matter what.
physical discomfort. However, my
recent experiences were a stark
reminder that it is not the right path
for me. Vianesse and FatGrabbers
a r e a v a i l a b l e v i a
www.holisticfeathers.co.uk; sign up
to our newsletter for great offers
throughout the year.
Callie Carling is the Founder of
www.holisticfeathers.co.uk

I have just got to get rid of this

compulsion to use myself as a
guinea-pig. Ideas, anyone?!

Note: this is my personal

experience; I fully support any
person's decision to try ANY option
open and available to them if they
feel unhappy with their weight or
body shape, or suffer emotional or

Just As Beautiful Magazine Awards

&
Britain’s Next Plus Model

Coming Soon!!
for futher info or to apply

TEL: 020 8453 7185

07043 020 287
or
email: info@justasbeautiful.co.uk
what the focus should be on -not
how much do you weigh. When I did
Celebrity Fit Club that was my main
goal. I wanted to be healthy and if I
lose weight as a result of it, then
fantastic. But my main goal is to get
healthy, eat right, and exercise and
to quit smoking; all of those things
that I knew were killing me. I lost
three stone on the show. I've kept
the weight off and I quit smoking
after the show -I just totally turned
my life around.
“I'm still the same person, I'm still plus-
size – I'm a size 18 and wouldn't be
considered 'normal' size by any
stretch of the imagination, but I am
happy the way that I am. That
should be the main focus, to be
healthy. There are some terrible
people out there that perpetuate
the belief of fat women as being lazy
and greedy. The same goes for big
men too. For example the 'fat' guy
who can never get a girlfriend, or
the 'fat' girl should be grateful for
any attention that she's given. Such
cliché. We need to abolish that.”
Despite a gruelling schedule, Amy
still finds time to do things she loves
most: “I love drinking wine and
crocheting. I also run a club night,
so I'm quite use to jumping up and
down to indie pop music. The club is
called Duckie and it's a prop and
performance nightclub that I've
been running for 13 years at the
Royal Vauxhall Tavern every
Saturday night between 9pm to
2am. We put on some crazy shows
and I am the host. It's a gay club,
but everybody's welcome. We
have loads of chubby guys that
come down there. It is a very
relaxed party atmosphere.” As for
the music played at the club she
says: “We play everything from Tom
Jones to Grace Jones and
everything in between! It's the sort
of music you can jump up and
down, sing and drink beer to. It's not
a druggie or techno kind of thing –
totally the opposite.”
So, what does Amy think the best
part about running a club night is?
“Meeting people really. I've met so
many fantastic people over the
past 13 years. And also having the
space to perform every week. I do
my own shows and introduce the
other performers. It gives me an
enormous amount of creative
freedom and I'm grateful for that
really.
“I'm still doing my radio show on BBC
London 94.9 [from 3pm-5pm daily]
in the afternoons with Danny Baker.
Despite being very busy Amy has
started an interesting new project
aimed at spreading peace
throughout the world: “My latest
project is:
www.pompominternational.com
It's about making pom pom's for
peace across the world.” To find out
more about Amy visit her website:
www.amylame.com
 I'm following my
Dreams
Jenny Mortier is arguably one
of the curviest performers in the
UK's burlesque and theatre
scene. Born in Port Elizabeth,
South Africa, she is of Belgian
and Welsh parentage. Now
living in London, she studied
theatre performance for three
years at Kensington and
Chelsea College. Jenny was
also a London finalist in Evans'
Plus Size Model of the Year
competition in 2001. She is
currently starring in the stage
version of the Francois Ozon
film, Eight Women, at the Lion
and Unicorn Theatre in
London's Kentish Town, where
she plays the part of Pierette.
Just As Beautiful Magazine
caught up with Jenny to find
out a bit more about the
upcoming actress and things
outside of her busy schedule.
Describing her fashion sense
she said: “I like timeless disappointed when I see
classics, but I also like to follow something I adore only to find
trends and funk things up to fit they don't have it in a size 18. At
my biggest I was a dress size 26
“I turned down a job and found it extremely hard to
find nice clothes and hated
offer for the hit TV shopping in plus-size stores
show, The Sopraonos, because they are so limited in
commercial because their collections and use
they wanted me to play horrible fabrics.
an exotic dancer”
“My weight eventually
stabilised at size 22 and I think
with my unique style. I spend a
huge amount of time thinking
about and coordinating
outfits. I always buy clothes to
emphasize my curves and
enhance my positive assets.
My attitude is if I like it I WILL
wear it! I'm often very
 Wii bit of trouble
for Nintendo
By Kaye Lewis

It seems the new Wii Fit game from

Nintendo which launched last month
has caused controversy for the gaming
giant. Players enter their height and use
the electronic 'balance board' for the
game to calculate BMI, giving such
ratings as fat, obese etc.

However, this BMI measurement system

is better suited to adults and has
triggered significant concerns for
parents of impressionable younger
players branded 'fat' by the game, who
are already fighting to keep their
children healthy in light of the media
onslaught promoting the 'size zero'
ideal.

Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum

recently called for a warning to be
issued with the game and commented:
"A child's BMI can change every month
and it is perfectly possible for a child to
be stocky yet still very fit".

Nintendo have refused to issue such a warning but a spokesperson conceded: "Wii Fit is capable of measuring the BMI for
people aged between 2 and 20 but the resulting figures may not be entirely accurate for younger age groups due to
varying levels of development".

A BBW nude painting went up for
auction at Christie's New York on 13 May
2008 and set a new world auction
record for a painting by a living artist,
when the hammer fell at US$33.6 million
(including auction house commission)
for a very fortunate anonymous bidder
(later revealed to be the billionaire
Roman Abramovich).
85 year old UK artist Lucien Freud was
the creator of the life-size masterpiece
finished in 1995, entitled 'Benefits
Supervisor Sleeping'. The naked civil
servant in question is 20-stone Susan
Tilley who posed for the famous
artist in the early 1990s.
When questioned about his
choice of model, Freud spoke of
his "predilection towards people
of unusual or strange
proportions". As for Susan Tilley,
affectionately called "Big Sue", he
said he was "very aware of all
kinds of spectacular things to do
with her size, like amazing craters
and things one's never seen
before".
An article in the Daily Mail this week tells
us that fast food is bad for us – no
surprises there, but the boffins at the
Hampshire Scientific Service sampled
150 takeaway meals across the south to
find the worst offenders, as illustrated.

So it's official, doner kebabs are not our

friends, and made far less appealing
(even after eight pints) when findings
shows that an average doner kebab
contains the equivalent of a full wine
glass of cooking oil. Nutritionists say just
two of these greasy takeaway meals a
week could cause a heart attack within
ten years.

Will this horrifying news have people

running home after a night out on the
tiles to fire up their woks for a low calorie,
low cholesterol, and nutritious tofu stir-
fry? I doubt it! The best advice given by
dieticians/nutritionists across the land
usually includes the phrase 'everything
in moderation', and who's going to
argue with that? But there are times
when only junk will do - whatever size
you are.

Surely the definition of fast food is that it's

something we grab on the run when we
don't have the time or access to
facilities to prepare our own meals? This
throws up some interesting questions...

Has fast food become the norm in the

21st century? When was the last time
you had a meal that was prepared
completely from scratch? Are
supermarket ready meals or easy
options (prepared meat and
vegetables) regarded as fast food? Is
the prevalence of such products down
to can't cook, or won't cook?

Well, I'd be devastated if KFC ever went

out of business (thankfully, that's not
likely), but I'm fully aware that these
occasional treats should be just that –
sure they taste great, but represent poor
nutritional value. Like most of the
population I probably eat more junk
food than I should, but the imagery of
drinking a wine glass of cooking oil with
each meal is enough to make me think
twice...or maybe just downsize.
 7 June – Big Girl's Paradise, London

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 ANNA SCHOLZ
“Society can be quite unforgiving, but I find that the people I meet and the customers I know are
confident and look after themselves.”
A
nna Scholz is one of the
biggest and most
successful plus-size
designers in the world. Not
only do people commend her work,
she also has a list of celebrity clients
that many would give their right arm
for. Despite her success, Anna is still
focused and has no intentions of
slowing down.
But just how has Anna managed to
acquire the most high-profile of
clients and stay ahead of the rest of
the design pack? In our exclusive
interview she opens up and at Just
As Beautiful Magazine, we now see
why Anna Scholz is in a league of her
own.
“I've been running my business for
over 12 years and during that time I
have had quite a lot of press
coverage,” she points out. A lot of
the stylists that have to dress
celebrities come to us by
themselves. We endorse or brand
and have good deals for celebrities,
but we do not usually give stuff
away for free.
“We recently had Adele wearing
one of our coats, which was
pictured in the Guardian
newspaper. Also, Alison Moyet will
be doing a European, UK and USA
tour and it's quite important for us to
dress her up nicely for her tour
dates.” On her ever increasing
popularity as designer to the stars
Anna said: “It has just kind of
happened over the years. We are
known for doing glamorous sizes up
to 28. When people are bigger than
the normal size and they can't find
anything to wear, they have to
come to us.”
Going back to her early years when “Now, when we do customer
big breaks were coming through events I get quite excited. I was in
and things began to look brighter Harrods for a day's consumer event
and more exciting, she said: “At the we held in collaboration with You
beginning, when I started my label, magazine. There were tickets sold
I had a big American company for the event and it was really nice
called Lane Bryant come to meet some of my customers. We
over and I did a one- were also the top-selling brand in
year deal with them for Harrods that day! It was very good
a special collection. for us because we had a great
T h e y invited turnover and good feedback from
myself a n d our customers. It is quite nice to
t h e team meet the end consumer and have
over t o them be complimentary.”
With such an upmarket clientele,
what made Anna agree to a deal
with Simply Be? “It's fine because I
can design for all sorts of levels and
it is exciting as well because it is a
different challenge. Simply Be allow
me to design beddings, swimwear
and nightwear, which I hadn't done
before, so that created a new
challenge for me. Also, I wanted to
make my collection, which is
obviously high-end designer more
New York available to the mass market by
for a very
big fashion
show that
t h e y
organised.
T h e y
b o o k e d
limousines to
take us around, we had Chaka
Khan singing at the show and
Shirley McLain was there too. It was
very exciting for me at the time
because I was also one of the
judges for America's nationwide
search for the face of Lane Bryant.
It was like a complete whirlwind for
five days!

developing a diffusion collection,
which can be bought by a much
broader range of customers. The
Simply Be collection is obviously a
fraction of our premium label –
price-wise therefore more people
can afford it and it will reach a much
wider audience.”
Speaking on the stereotypes
heaped towards plus-size women
she said: “It is very difficult to
generalise. There are thin women
and there are thin women and there
are plus-size women and there are
plus-size women. If a plus-size
woman is confident, well-dressed
and looks after herself, then I think
society can be accepting. But I think
that if people don't look after
themselves their weight becomes
an easy target. If someone is thin
and doesn't look after themselves,
people tend to over look it, whereas
if it is a plus-size woman people
would say that 'she's given up on
herself', or 'she doesn't look after
herself'. “Society can be quite
unforgiving, but I find that the
people I meet and the customers I
know are confident and look after
themselves.”
Like many people that find
themselves in London, Anna never
left here to settle anywhere else
once she graduated. “I came to
London because I wanted to study
fashion at St Martin's. I also use to do
some plus-size modelling when I
was younger; I was discovered as a
plus model at the age of 18 and did
quite a lot of it for about three or
four years. I always wanted to do
plus-size fashion because at 13-
years-old, I was already six-foot tall
and a size 16. I couldn't fit into
anything, neither did I like any of
the type of clothes that were
available because to me they
looked really old and frumpy. I'm
talking about the 80's here; there
was really nothing available so I
started making my own clothes
early on.
“I looked for colleges throughout
Europe including Paris and Milan,
but everybody kept saying that St
Martins was the best fashion school
in Europe, so I decided to come to
London and study here - and kind
of got stuck! I came here and fell in
love with it. I love the freedom and
creativity that London still has.”
But it wasn't always this easy for
Anna. In fact, like most businesses
she has had to grow over time and
by putting out breathtaking
collections. “If I had known how
long it would take and how difficult
it is, I probably would never have set
up. But we've been going for 12
years now and for the past two
years, we have been doing very
well financially. I would say it took
about six years to get to a bigger
footing and another couple of
years before we kind did things
internationally. I'd say between six
and eight years.
“It took a while to convince the
stores to offer the customer a more
modern, younger and fashionable
product. We still come up a bit of
resistance from the more old
fashion stores. The traditional plus-
size boutiques are very unwilling to
offer their customers anything that's
younger, more sexy. People have
said to me 'it's too sexy, it's too low
cut.' My reply is does that mean that
you are looking for something old
fashioned, unsexy and dowdy?
“There are so many 'does and
don'ts' that I work really hard to
convince them. Now, there are a
whole new range of shops opening
that are ready to sell plus-sizes, and
that's quite exciting to see.”
To find out more about (or to buy)
Anna Scholz's renowned designs,
visit: www.annascholz.com
 ANNA SCHOLZ

ANNA SCHOLZ
ANNA SCHOLZ
www.annascholz.com
 Relax, you're in good hands…
124 Anerley Road, Anerley Plus size bridal, bridesmaids, Evening and Prom.
London SE20 8DL
Tel: 020 8659 8702 Prices start from: £595.00.
Mob: 0793 04 966 04
Book a styling consultation and design your own dress!
voluptuous@ntlworld.com
www.ouiido.com Try as many dress as you want in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

www.voluptuousbrides.net By appointment. Closes at 8pm on Thurs.

Alternative Fashion Week 2008
Last month Alternative Fashion Week 2008
showcased some new talent to look out for. Some
students at Colchester School of Art & Design
were given a brief, partly written by the lead
singer of the band Gossip, Beth Ditto. The brief
was to create an outfit that wasn't a remake of the
same cookie cutter look, something with bold
colours and that would make a fashion statement.
“Along side this we were to gather further
inspiration from our Queen's both Elizabeth I and
II and the garments were to be made for size 20
and above,” said 19-year-old Amy Sewell who
took part.

“When I got the brief I began looking into Queen

Elizabeth II, which is when I visited the Crown
Jewels, at the Tower Of London…I chose my
colour's story from the range of bold, stretchy
fabrics given to us to construct outfits and also
from the crown jewels, which is where the purple
comes in. The dress is made of many sections;
many filled with different screen print designs and
others painted in many colours to create an
impact of colour.

“The leggings have been made from leopard skin

fabric and then printed with a repeat of a crown in
metallic blue foil,” Amy says of her and her team's
designs.

Here are some pictures from

Alternative Fashion Week
 www.biggirlsboutique.com
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News fashion health diets

SizeNet
Europe's leading
Be
surgery ballet Katie Price
Lingerie mens wear drugs
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website for
Size & Self acceptance

www.sizenet.com informed
weight loss shopping
books jewelery Beth Ditto
self acceptance attitude
we provide the Make you own choices
information so you
can make your own
size 0 models Lo Rider
decisions about your life discrimination schools

What colours suit me?
Most of us have certain colour
groups that suit us best. For
those of you who have
watched any of the styling
shows on TV, you may have
heard the stylist go on about
what colours and shade(s) of
colours best suit the person's
skin type. What they mean by
this is that, for example, a
person with very pale skin and
blue eyes and blonde hair
would more than likely appear
too severe in colours such as
black and washed out in white.
It's not that they cannot wear
these colours at all, but take
care to use them as accents as
opposed to the main piece of
clothing.
Someone with a warm skin
tone (i.e., more red hue to their
skin as opposed to yellow
which tends to be cooler) can
take quite strong colours called
'brights' like pillar box red and
orange and strong green for
example. There are
cool/brights that have more
blue mixed in to come up with
their tone and muted colours
which tend to be in-between
Employing clothes
to work for me
cool brights and pastels.
Confused? That's why people
like me have to be trained!
It's not easy and to try and give
you all you need I would have
to train you too! What I can say
is vital to both my training and
what I can pass on is to use
your eyes. Experiment with
scarves etc in the shop and
see whether certain colours
show off your eyes and facial
features. If they do, then you're
on the right track. I supply my
clients with personalised
colour cards/swatches and
body proportions so they can
go out and shop with
confidence; but they still have
to use their eyes to negotiate
which is the closest to their
optimum shade.
Fabric: Touch everything! How
does it feel/look/hang? How
does it sit on you and what
does it do for you? Will a bigger
or smaller size make a
difference? Just because it fits
or is in fashion doesn't make it
in fashion for you! Ask a friend
for an honest answer. Tell them
what you're trying to do.
By Nile Graham
Buttons may need moving and
sleeves shortening etc, so don't
discard a purchase on
something small…but don't
make do. Make friends with
the dry cleaners. Some don't
charge much to alter things,
and some things you can do
for yourself.
Pattern: I would say that this is
the area that produces the
most anxiety for me and my
clients and I'm guessing for you
also. There's a fine line
between wearing a pattern
with taste and style…and
doing a 'Pat Butcher'. Florals,
bright and bold prints and
what is being termed “jungle
prints”, are once again making
themselves heard this
spring/summer. But don't
despair.
A simple rule when you are
larger is to stick to simple prints
whose dominant colour/print is
the darker of the outfit's detail.
Don't go, for example for big
swirls that accentuate your
bust or stomach area in ways
that add bulk to you. Even
prints on softer fabric can add

a bulky look because of the
way the eye perceives it. You
may be able to add a print
border to a plain top or skirt
updating your look without a
g r e a t d e a l o f
effort…remember alterations
NG
can revamp a faltering favourite
top or bottom.
I hope this sure fire diet has a
more lasting and satisfying
effect on your life than any
you've tried to date.

For one to one consultations please contact me via Just As Beautiful magazine
at nile.graham@justasbeautiful.co.uk. Please title your email Sure Fire Diet.

Happy dieting!!

a
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“The UK’s First Free Lifestyle Magazine Dedicated To The Plus-Size Woman”

Credit Crunch
Are you sick of reading about the credit crunch? If your spending power has been curbed by relentless
talk about a housing crash, credit freeze and high inflation, take a holiday from the negative equity and
pamper yourself on a budget...
OK, so this year you've had to
tighten your belt and the first
thing to go is the trip abroad. By
the law of averages, we've got
to start having some good
weather in the UK soon, and
weather forecasters – usually as
fond of doom-mongering as
economic forecasters – are
predicting a warmer than
average summer if we dodge
the thunderstorms. So, get out
your sun tan lotion and party on
in this country instead.
A good holiday should always
involve a spa visit, but what
can you do if the budget
doesn't stretch to a couple of
nights at Champneys? Well,
investigate your handbag, dust
off your Nectar card, and see if
you can redeem some of those
points you'd forgotten about
with a 'Zen and Spa Smartbox'
which gives you a choice of
more than 80 spa therapies
and techniques to choose
from. You might fancy a
relaxing float at Floatworks, or a
trip to Titanic Spa in Yorkshire, or
choose from any of the other
participating spas and
pampering palaces. All you
need is 18,300 Nectar points.
If you can't quite stretch to that,
if you've got 500 points saved
up you could use them for a
free day pass at a Cannons
Health Club instead?
The
holiday...
http://www.nectar.com/
If you want a longer break, but
without the longer time it's
going to take to pay off the
associated overdraft, click
onto LateRooms. If you've got
the time off from work but
haven't got anything booked
yet, take a chance and
investigate the rock bottom
hotel prices across the UK, for
weekend getaways or cosy
country retreats – a bargain
weekend getaway booked
through LateRooms can cost
less than a shopping blow out
or an expensive dinner, and
be much more satisfying.
http://www.laterooms.com/
If you fancy a trip to the
seaside, Brighton could be the
place for a Crown Jewels
beauty package that will
make you feel like you've
spent a week in St Tropez...
By Sarah Clark
Book an apartment by the sea
in Brighton and you can book
fabulous girlie treats at the
same time. If you've ever
fancied learning burlesque or
lap dancing, wiggle your way
onto one of their in-house
courses...you can order
hangover therapy, a yoga
and Pilates urban retreat...or
my favourite – bare bottomed
butlers! Rent an apartment
that sleeps up to ten people for
just £695*, midweek and then
add your own extras – for
example, the Burlesque lessons
are £325 for a group of up to
ten.
*Check website for prices and
availability, based on 'Coach
House' which sleeps ten, for
three nights in June 2008.
http://www.crown-
gardens.co.uk/
If you'd rather chill out in the
comfort of your own home,
you'll still need to get 'beach
ready' – so prepare yourself
with Veet in shower cream, the
new and less inconvenient
way to get super smooth pins. I
don't know about you, but I
find the fact that you can't use
most hair removal creams in
the shower is really irritating –
especially if, like me, you forget
and end up with sore legs. With
Veet, all you have to do is

apply the cream to dry legs (or
wherever you're defuzzing)
wait a few minutes and then
massage it off under the
shower with the handy sponge.
It's just £5.99 for 150ml, so ideal
for cash strapped beauty
queens.
So, now you're defuzzed, and
with skin exfoliated and
smooth, you can add a fake
tan – or just go for pale and
interesting. Simple Self Tanning
Lotion is derived from
sunflower, and contains
vitamin E and chamomile to
soothe your skin. Like all Simple
products, it doesn't have nasty
additives in it. So if you want the
sun-kissed look before you hit
the back garden, but don't
want to pay salon prices for it,
at £4.49 for the lotion, mousse
or spray you can afford to
splash out on a tan before you
even step out of the back door.
Of course, if you're going to be
sitting in the sun, you need sun
protection too.
Simple Face Protection Lotion
(SPF 30) won't break the bank
at £7.25, and the Sun Protect
Lotion for the body is just as
affordable, and well worth it, at
£7.99. Simple sun care products
are specially formulated for
maximum protection for sun
intolerant skin, as well as giving
all the usual sun protection. RRP £3.99 for a multipack of
Now you're ready to face the four. Lollies - available from
neighbours, what can you do Harvey Nichols and EAT from
to make your afternoon sun May 2008.
session feel like a proper
holiday? Well, most of us can't
stretch to a water feature
convincing enough to pass for
a beach holiday, but close
your eyes and you can
imagine...
If you've got any Nectar points
left, treat yourself to a book to
read while chilling out in the
garden. You can choose from
hundreds of thousands of top
titles, from as little as 1850
points. If you don't have a
Nectar card, sign up to Borders
Online to get 20% off your
favourite reads, and e-mails
with all the latest offers.
http://www.bordersstores.co.
uk/borders_email/
Add some pizzazz with a
summer treat that does you
good! Slurp on a Licketysip ice
lolly. Just like sip: the original
skin drink, LicketySip iced
lollies are 100% natural,
flavoured and sweetened
with fruit extracts. In keeping With all these ideas – you can
with the sip brand's holistic laugh in the face of anyone
beauty ethos, the lollies who dares tell you they can't
contain skin-friendly afford a holiday this year.
ingredients like soothing rose Credit crunch? What credit
petal extract – sourced via an crunch?!
organic farm in Herefordshire –
and antioxidants vitamin C
and selenium. If you're thirsty, Sarah Clark runs
www.relentlessly-positive.com
sip: the original skin drink -a
a website dedicated to encouraging
delicately flavoured still water a more positive outlook on life.
packed with beauty boosting
natural ingredients.
that is my natural size which my
body wants to be when I am
not dieting. I'm a size 18 at the
moment, but that's because
I've been so busy with
rehearsals and all that dancing
that I sometimes don't have
time to eat. At size 18 I have a
lot more freedom in where I
shop and I'm quite enjoying
discovering market stalls and
vintage shops for the first time. I
never bother going into shops
like Zara or Selfridges though,
because I just know I could
never squeeze into any of their
collections, which I resent a lot.
I did some fit modelling work for
BHS nightwear, so it's quite nice
to know that whenever you
buy a nighty from BHS it will be a
perfect fit.”
In the world of acting Jenny has
had a number of roles that
have been memorable to her,
some more so than others. “I
had the most fun playing a
witch in the Scottish Play at
college. I love building
characters and I love letting
the physicality take over. It's
really nice to be someone else
for a short space of time, so I
have the most fun playing
characters which are very
different from me.
“Being plus-size also gives me
the versatility to have a very
wide stage age. I could
convincingly play a 22- year-
old and also up to a 60-year-
old. I used to only apply for
plus-size roles hence I didn't
get much work. Recently I saw
a posting for a sexy, amorous,
attractive, free character on a
casting call website and I
thought that sounds a lot like
me. I nearly didn't apply
because I always worry that
I'm too big for the part. But
luckily I did and I got it. Now I
just apply for everything and
hope for the best.
“My next dream role would be
to play the famous Burlesque
dancer, Tempest Storm. I think
she is a very good example of
a confident sexy curvy
woman. Some people say I
look like her. So, who knows
what the future holds?”
So what made her get into
burlesque? As Jenny puts it: “I
learned burlesque because I
used to belly-dance as a
hobby and I included it on my
acting C.V. A lot of agents and
directors got it confused with
exotic dancing and I kept
getting sent to castings for
voluptuous strippers. But I've
always had a phobia about
being naked in public, so I
turned down a job offer for the
hit TV show, The Sopraonos,
commercial because they
wanted me to play an exotic
dancer. Then I saw good time
Mamma Jo Jo on a program
about being naked in public
and I thought 'what a fantastic
example of a full figured
woman being totally at ease
with her body?' Inspired by her,
I enrolled for the Burlesque
Factory dance class.
“Of course I was nervous as I
was the biggest person in the
class, but Gerard (our teacher)
was really great and made
everyone feel really at ease.
He even showed us that we
looked better in stockings than
he did! From the first time I
picked up the feather boa I
loved it and wish I'd had the
guts to do it sooner. I'm also
doing a burlesque set in Eight
Women.
“Now I truly do believe that you
can be beautiful at ANY SIZE.
My evidence is the audience's
reaction when I do a set. I just
want to say to all the people
out there who are worried
about their size, that they
shouldn't let it hold them back.
Follow your dreams and do
what you really want to do in
life. Don't lose opportunities like
I did because of fears and self
doubt. Everyone has a unique
beauty. If it's a lovely smile,
shiny hair, a gentle soul or
friendly warmth, make the
most of what you have and
learn to love it.”
Jenny Mortier is currently
starring in the theatre production
of Eight Women which runs from
the 27th May to the 15th June
2008 at the Lion & Unicorn
Theatre in Kentish Town,
London.
 Different
I
was appalled last August to
see the case of Sophie
Lancaster who was walking
through Stubbylee park in
Rossendale, Lancashire, with her
boyfriend Robert Maltby only to be
set upon by five youths. They walked
past a group of youths who then
followed them and without
provocation attacked Robert who
was knocked unconscious. Sophie
then held him trying to protect him
only to have her head kicked and
then jumped upon by the youths.
The youths boasted of the attack
while other young bystanders called
an ambulance and helped the
couple. Robert was in a coma for
two weeks and slowly recovered
while Sophie, who was on life
support, didn't and her family
agreed for the life support to be
switched off.
Five boys between the ages of 15
and 17 were charged with the
attack, two of whom were found
guilty of murder and the other three
guilty of grievous bodily harm with
intent. The cause of this terrible
attack? Sophie and Robert were
Goths and dressed as Goths, no
other reason.
I think that this case stood out so
much to me because the only
reason this young girl had her life
taken from her was that she was
different. Why is being different so
much of a target and why do a few
morons find these differences the
catalyst to be so nasty? Being a Big
Beautiful Woman (BBW) the vast
majority of my life I have come
across this mentality too many
times to remember; thankfully not
anywhere near the extent of the
previously mentioned attack. But
it's the same principal. You are
different, whether it is by being
obese, skinny, ginger or even
exceptionally beautiful, therefore
the few yobs find that an excuse to
treat you with contempt, anger
and even violence.
A few of the incidents that I have
come across are fairly minor but
they still hurt. I was walking along
with my then husband and my little
girl in a pushchair and we passed
by a small group of lads who
laughed at me saying loudly: “Look
at the state of that” (me). On
another occasion I was walking
with a large friend only to be
taunted by comments of “you
need Slimfast”. Very talented that
was - they must have used up at
least three brain cells to come up
with that one.
And there you see it; the joking to
counter the taunting! Oh I wish I
could come up with some of the
retorts I think of a couple of minutes
after the incident. I am lucky that I
have never had any kind of
physical taunting but I know there
are large people (probably more
men than women) who have been
prodded or poked just because
they are large. What is it that makes
these people hit out at you verbally
or physically? Why do they feel
compelled to comment on
By Julia Thomas
someone they see that is out of
normal parameters? Why do they
think they are so perfect as to
comment on someone else's
differences or flaws?
I really wish I could come up with an
answer because it's something that
has driven me crazy over the years.
Why do groups of lads have that
'lovely' little burst of sniggering when
I walk past? Is it that one of the
group might think to themselves
'she looks nice' only to check that
thought before one of their
Neanderthal peers telepathically
reads their thoughts and turns their
bigotry on them for daring to like
something a little different?
In the case of being a BBW, one
thing I can tell the younger girls is
that it thankfully gets better as you
get older. Not completely, but on
the whole your same aged peers
have realised that if they like
someone different, that's fine and
their mates have to live with it. We
had a youth club re-union a few
years back now and a couple of us
larger ladies were told (by the now
little-more grown up) men that they
did secretly find us very attractive,
but were afraid of what their mates
would say if they let that out of the
bag when they were younger.
Why? I guess they were afraid of
being the one who is 'different'.
julia Thomas is the owner
of leading website:
www.curvychicks.co.uk
 Weight Loss Surgery
This is a very sad but true story. As a magazine, Just As Beautiful, cannot make moral or medical
judgements, but we do hope you learn from this. It is narrated by a man from Sweden, who feels
robbed of love by the downside of weight loss surgery and circumstance.
A
bout 2 weeks after 9/11 I
sat browsing for bigger
women on Yahoo. I had
my own business, but not
very much to do those days.
Occasionally I ran over a picture of
a beautiful brunette. One day, I
finally plucked the courage sent her
an email and hoped for the best – a
positive reaction. The next day she
replied and sounded very eager in
her reply. I think we caught each
other just a couple of minutes after I
replied to her and our chat began. It
was very intense from the
beginning.
She wanted me to come over
immediately - but I had to admit I
was 'very married' and couldn't
leave just like that. In time, my
business took a down turn and things
got bad. So bad I could hardly
afford a one-way ticket. I told her
about this during one of our
correspondences. “That's no
problem she answered: "I will pay
your ticket." I wondered if she really
knew what a ticket from my little
town in Sweden to Texas would cost.
-"It's no problem she replied. I'm rich!"
Since this was the very first time I had
been talking to a 500 lb woman that
wasn't on disability, I wondered how
she got all her money. It turned out
that she worked as a realtor for a
Killed My Lover
company in her town. As time went
on, I understood that she must have
been quite a prosperous realtor in
the USA. She had an incredible
charm, a very natural beauty, and
was honest. That made people trust
her. She sold an average of 2
houses a week, with 6% profit, plus
her contracted salary - so she
obviously earned lots of money.
We talked a lot about our families.
She was divorced, had 2 sons, one
15 and one 25 and married. Her ex
found it difficult to accept the
divorce and kept living with her -
even after some 5-6 years. He had
an apartment in town though, - but
was hardly ever there.
She was born an only child from a
very poor family. Her dad came
home broke and drunk every
Friday. Her mum, who as very big
too, earned some money by
cleaning houses for richer people.
Sally also had a very close
relationship to her grandmother till
she passed away in the 70's I
believe. And Sally's mother passed
away in the early 90's.
Sally's best friend was Sarah – also a
very big woman. Sarah gave birth
to a little girl just a few months
before I met Sally online.
One evening in the Easter week of
2002 Sally was baby-sitting Sarah's
child. It was natural, because Sally
was her godmother and adored
her very much. The babysitting
came to an end when a police
officer arrived and told that Sally
that Sarah was killed in a car crash.
Sarah's hubby, Joey, had both his
legs broken, as well as an arm. To
me, hearing it was a shocking
experience, and Sally was quiet on
the net for several days. Sally told
me that she wanted to take care of
the child, as there was no one else
capable at that point in time. She
even stayed at home for two weeks
bonding with the child before
arranging for any day care. That
was how sweet she was.
She also decided to work part-time
only, but still managed to sell just as
many houses as before. After a
year, Joey recovered and wanted
his child back….
To be continued….
 www.goutfree.co.uk

THE PLUS-SIZE SPORTS AND DANCE

INITIATIVE

www.plussizesportsdance.co.uk

This is a British initiative to get more people who are considered

overweight or obese to exercise in environments where they are
comfortable; among people that they can identify with.
In other words, if you feel too shy to take off your clothes for swimming
lessons or any other sporting activity, but really want to get involved in
sports with like-minded people, look no further.

For further information send an email to:

info@plussizesportsdance.co.uk