Shape Magazine Not Impressed by Brooke Birmingham 170 Pounds Weight Loss

May 7, 2014 Posted by Contributor

28-year-old Brooke Birmingham often stayed depressed due her overweight. She was struggling severe obesity problem at such a young age. But Birmingham was clear in what she wanted. She decided to get rid of those extra flab.

In past four years, Birmingham left no stone unturned to bring her back into shape. She also succeeded in losing a significant 172 lbs but her hard labour didn’t bring her fruits of success in real way.

Birmingham’s success was recognized by Shape magazine and they have contacted her to be featured in their “Success Stories” series.

The young achiever has also undergone a telephonic interview with a Shape reporter. During the interview, she shared her tough journey, some weight loss tips, her diet and many more. She was asked by the interviewer to share a bikini photo that would be featured in the magazine.

Soon after she mailed her photo, Birmingham received a reply back that was a ‘letter of disappointment for the young lady. The email by the reporter reads, “Hi Brooke! So great to speak with you the other day. My editors were hoping you could send over a different after photo. (You look ah-mazing, of course, but they are looking to include one with a shirt.) Thanks!”

In the second email, the reporter informed Birmingham about the editorial policy of the magazine. Stating the guidelines, the reporter said that they needed fully clothed photos for stories like Birmingham’s. But, prior success stories in the magazine have featured both shirtless men as well as women in bikinis.

She declined to be featured in the magazine if she could not show off her bikini body.

Expressing her disappointment, Birmingham wrote her on blog, “If anything, the [sic] should want my picture on their site. My body is real, not photoshopped or hidden because I feel like I should be ashamed. This is a body after losing 172lbs., a body that has done amazing things, and looks AMAZING in a freaking bikini.”

She further wrote, “Being asked to send a photo of myself with a shirt on made me feel like I again should be ashamed of my body. That since I have the loose skin, I shouldn’t be in a bikini.”

Even thought her new body failed to earn her fame, her story has gone viral on social networking forums. Her Facebook wall is flooded with kind words and messages of support.

Skabb15

Aww, you didnt become famous and people arent drooling over you and showering you with affection, money , and gifts. Someone doesnt think you are as attractive as you do, go figure. Kinda makes you wonder why you even bothered losing weight if the world wasnt going to gasp in awe, huh? F###ing ego. In this country especially. God forbid anyone do anything for something other than wealth, power, or respect.
- MzN
  
  I dont think you get the point of her comments. She is saying that other people have been featured in the mag in bikinis and that they are not allowing her to do it bc she has loose skin. So she declined to be in the magazine. Her losing 172 lbs is enough to make people gasp in awe considering more than half of america is overweight and unhealthy. I’m assuming you dont know her so it’s really not fair for you to say that she’s looking for wealth or fame. The magazine contacted her not the other way around. Im also assuming you dont want people judging you without knowing who you are based on an online news article. why would you judge someone you dont even know? Are we in high school again?
  - Skabb15
    
    When the magazine contacted her she should have said “No thank you.” but instead her ego said “Yes I would love for people to look up to me and admire my accomplishment. If I help people in the process by sharing then thats great! I’ll feel even better about myself and what Ive done.”
    There is another story on the feed today about a woman who lost a whole bunch of weight because someone made fun of her for wearing a hooters t shirt when she was fat. So she lost a lot of weight and went and got a job at hooters. She didnt lose the weight because it was disgusting and unhealthy; she did it out of spite and ego.
    If you lose a lot of weight, more power to you. Congratulations for extending your own life while improving its quality. You aren’t special. You aren’t a hero. You showed self restraint and some willpower. Bravo. Most of us (increasingly fewer every year) do that every day of our life. Its great that she is proud, but to some of us she looks like a person who just lost 175 pounds. That doesnt mean she has the body of _____ now. Its like when severely overweight people wear clothing that they shouldnt be wearing. Some of us (more than would publicly admit it. We have become a world where calling a fat person fat or a stupid person stupid is somehow wrong) find it disgusting and it doesnt matter if you are proud of your body.
    In this case she comes across as someone who lost weight for others because she thought she would be loved for it. Just because the magazine asked for the photo doesnt mean they were only going to publish her with a shirt on, maybe they just had to have it for the record. If she was concerned about helping others then she should have just complied and taken the opportunity to get her message out. Instead she got angry because she feels someone thinks shes still unattractive after all of her work.
    - Skabb15
      
      Even the way she talks about herself in the blog. Ego. Dripping from her words, running all over the paragraph, mixing with her hurt entitled feelings and congealing into a narcissistic mess that is her intent and true self shining through. You go ahead and defend her. It is my own personal opinion that I’ve hit the nail on the head using only the tools she herself provided.
State_Insurance_North_Carolina

And the hate against someone who has done something amazing begins.

Being overweight myself, I can tell you that NONE of you who are of average weight know a DAMN thing about the emotional toil it takes on you.

Getting a date with a hot person? You can forget it. Getting that good job – you can forget it. Being taken seriously – you can forget it.

You have to deal with a majority of the world who feels the same as you lot who have already posted here. That talking about the emotional bs you had to deal with is you being entitled, and that the desire to be seen as normal is some how boasting or bragging.

Yes, this woman has lose skin. It will probably tighten up over time, it may not. She can have plastic surgery to deal with it if its causing her emotional stress and should not have to put up with idiots who want to down her because she feels emotional sensitive about the issue.

The point I’m trying to make here is this. People who are or have been overweight are emotionally screwed up enough without turds like you making it worse for them. So, STOP it!
- Skabb15
  
  Fat a$$. dont like being fat, lose weight. You are disgusting and you want special consideration for it. Get diabetes, lose your limbs and die, or lose some weight and show some self restraint, but we all know which you will choose. The one gets you more pity. Fat a$$.
Tigerlily

The laden body is going to have a different posture and attractiveness than the unladen one. That’s just the way God made us and the earth and so when she lost all that weight she may now be “a hot chick” but does that make her any better? I would say that she may be better but that has nothing to do with her hotness but is instead coincidental. As weight does not make us better people. Or not.