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Entity discusses Hunter McGrady and body positivity

Entity HQ was lucky enough to have Hunter McGrady, the size-inclusive model and the ultimate #womanthatdoes, speak at EntityMag’s Love Yourself Summit this July. And if you don’t know who Hunter McGrady is…don’t worry about it, neither did I.

But after hearing her talk, I only wished that every woman my age could know her name and the values she stands for.

Entity discusses Hunter McGrady and body positivity

Image via Instagram/@huntermcgrady

McGrady comes from an entertainment background. Since her father was an actor and her mother a model, joining the family business was natural. However, it didn’t take long for the unnatural aspect of the career to reveal itself.

At six feet tall and 114 pounds, McGrady had a BMI of 15.5…and any person with a BMI of 18.5 or less is considered underweight.

“Multiple agents told me that I was good, but I just needed to lose a few inches off my hips. My hips were already bone. You can’t shave bone.”

Entity dicusses Hunter McGrady and body positivity

Image via Instagram/@huntermcgrady

Despite the dangerous requirements of these agencies, McGrady persisted in pursuit of her dreams. When she finally got her first modeling gig in downtown Los Angeles, she was thrilled beyond belief; that is, until the producer approached her.

“I remember walking in and seeing the producer beeline towards me. She came up and said, ‘I’m so sorry, we’re going to have to ask you to leave. We didn’t realize how big you are.’ At a size 2. 114 pounds.”

McGrady then commented on how embarrassed she felt, but the shame wasn’t just for herself (though of course, she had nothing to be ashamed of). She pitied the workers on set, people who see fat that should be trimmed off of an underweight body. It was at that moment that she decided to change the course of her entire life. “If this is what it took to be a model, I was out.”

Entity discusses Hunter McGrady and body positivity

Image via Instagram/@huntermcgrady

But her journey to be a size-inclusive icon wouldn’t begin until 2011, the year she first saw plus-sized models on the cover of Vogue magazine. But Mcgrady emphasized how much this transition changed her perspective on beauty, health and confidence.

Because of the toll extreme dieting took on her body, McGrady remained physically pre-pubescent into her mid-teens. She explained how it only matured into a woman’s body during her time off from modeling. “It was the body I knew I was supposed to be in all along.”

Entity discusses Hunter McGrady and body positivity

Image via Instagram/@huntermcgrady

In terms of beautiful women to look up to, women like Hunter McGrady should be household names just as much as Heidi Klum or Kate Moss. Although there is nothing wrong with being thin, it would benefit young girls to have strong women of all body types to admire.

 

 

 

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