You're right, this is America, which means she can take her skinny little size 2 butt and shop somewhere else. If she needs to put down heavy people to feel better about herself, then she deserves the criticism she gets for it.

Yes Political correctness has gone a bit far and if her article was a stand up act, I probably would have thought it was funny seeing how JCP has acknowledged that average size women and Plus size women like to dress and see spend their money so it is nice to see that JCP has manikins depicting these sizes. Most of Americans are not a svelte size 2. If she had said that tides have seemed to change in the store where the petite now are the minority when shopping that it's even difficult to now find a manikin that depicts them probably wouldn't have shown her ignorance and prejudice. Freedom of speech is sometime we fought for and have been proud to have, but tell me when did freedom of speech became the nastiest things one can say to or against a person and that is fine?

You are right in that she has the right to voice her opinion. But everyone who dislikes her opinion has the right to voice their opinion of her article. Freedom of speech works both ways. People forget that a lot.

so what you are saying is the writer has the freedom to diss fat people, but readers don't have the right to come back at her and tell her that they didn't like it...the only reason she pretended to apologize is so she didn't lose readers...smart move...I think freedom of speech was practiced all around here...as for the guy who only dates size 8 or smaller...seek therapy...you could be borderline pedophile...because any woman who is size 8 or below looks like a little boy and any breast size in said females are paid for....

I definitely agree with you. If you disagree, disagree. What good does it do to feel offended, or get her apology. Sheesh. The writer will both gain and lose readers. It's her problem.

I mean really does anyone read the New York Times anyway? Who cares what they write. Kudo's to JC Penney's

I have a great idea - if you don't like the clothes that are available in your size, exercise and stop eating. Or, you can accept that you are the way God wanted you to be and stop worrying about everyone else.

I have never understood catalogs using skinny models for plus sized clothes either. How am I supposed to know what it's going to look like on me a size 22 when a size 10 (maybe) is wearing it. That's why I shop at Ashley Stewart baby. They have the sharpest sexiest clothes anywhere. I've got big curves and they create clothes that accentuate them

Size 2s can shop anywhere? That's not true. Because of a little thing called "vanity Sizing" anything below a size 3 or 4 can no longer shop at Express or Banana Republic for pants and some blouses without needing to pay for alterations.

I agree with Mary Ann, I shop at other stores but I love JCPenny's because their clothes are true to size. So if I am in a size 10 at the time then that is the size I am able to purchase. However at some other stores like Express who's clothes only go up to size 12, if I am in a size 10 I may have to buy a size 12 because their clothes are not true to size. I have been many sizes from size 4 to 12 over the years and have loved myself at every size. So I will not let a size 2 women make me feel bad about being a size 12 because I am still curvy, well put together and most men black, white etc.. love me just the way I am and most of them say they prefer a women with some meat on her bones. ;-) Most of the times when I tell a guy that I want to drop 20lbs or more they ask why or no don't do that maybe only drop 5 no more than 8lbs. However I have to do what is best for me and my health in that area. I have to get to a size that is more comfortable for my body.

I myself am a healthy size 2 and I rather like this store however, it's the comments made by what I must assume are mostly overweight people that I find outrageous. So you're not a "REAL WOMAN" unless your overweight? If you're a size 2 find somewhere else to shop huh? sounds awfully exclusionary to me. If I said that about someone size 16, you'd be telling me what a horrible person I am. Also It is absolutely untrue that the average woman around the world is a size 14, that may be true of the U.S. but that's the result of an obesity epidemic and certainly not something to be proud of. Carrying excess body fat is taxing on not only your health but on society in general.

Beth, I agree that the comments are surprisingly outrageous. You're correct in saying that the "average size" in the U.S. is different than in other countries. Just because someone is "average" sized as an American, does not meant they are not overweight. The truth is that WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT! Whether we are size 2, 8, or 16, the important thing is that we take care of ourselves by exercising and eating right and make sure our BMI's are in the healthy range. "Big is beautiful" is true only in the eye of the beholder, just as "thin is beautiful." I used to work in health and nutrition before becoming a school teacher, so I have some experience on the medical side of this issue.

On a personal note, I grew up fluctuating between size 2 and size 4, and I'm 5'10". I was teased because of how thin I was. Some people, including family, called me "Ethiopian" or "Ethie" for short. Beginning in my early teen years, I began trying to gain weight so I could be "normal". I quit all sports, even my favorite sport gymnastics, and ate as much as possible whenever I could. I read that a normal weight for my size was around 130 lbs, but being only 120 lbs I set a goal of 125 lbs. I was able to eat so much that for my senior play, I got the part of the obese girl who had to eat for practically 2 hours straight on stage. I had to wear a "fat suit" because I was still 120 lbs. I ended up having to get tested for diabetes because I was wreaking havoc on my blood sugar. I finally reached my goal of 125 two years ago at age 27 because of a reaction to a new birth control. I'm now a size 8, but need to lose some weight because I'm on the borderline of having an unhealthy BMI. This will have to wait until after I have my baby of course.

The point is that no matter what size we are, we have all struggled with finding that perfect outfit in our size. This article was hilarious because it sounded like a venting session to her girlfriends after a frustrating shopping trip! Lord knows I've vented! Until recently, I was never able to find a pair of pants in my size that were long enough, so I had to wear high waters! I didn't feel the author was attacking overweight people, but simply venting her frustration over a situation all of us who have ever went shopping can relate to!

Size 14 at 5' 3" is definitely overweight, if not obese. The average American is also not very healthy. Average does not equal healthy. In a room full of obese people, obese is average and still not healthy. Keep that in mind.

False! The average AMERICAN woman is a size 14 and that statistic hasn't changed in years, but the actual size has. I'm 32 years old and weigh today what I weighed in high school. I wore a size 10 pants then and wear a size 6 now (I'm 5'3" 135lbs.). Manufacturers are putting smaller numbers on larger sizes to make our society feel better about that fact that most of us are FAT. Several years ago I was in a boutique that also sold consignment clothing...I found a vintage pair of Calvin Klein jeans that the tag labeled as being a 7/8...I couldn't get them past my hips. So for all the delusional people who claim to be the same size they were 10 or 20 years ago, even though you know you've put on weight...get real. The obesity epidemic in this country has gone beyond ridiculous and unfortunately the child obesity rate is only getting worse...too many fat adults are raising fat children. As a personal trainer with a degree in Phys. Ed., I understand the difference between thin and fit. A woman can be a size 10, 12, even 14 and be in fabulous shape and healthy. Not everyone can or should be a size 0 or 2. All the people who found this article offensive, did so because they aren't happy with their bodies/health. That isn't the authors fault and basically just proves her point. It's time our society stopped making it 'ok' to be overweight! I could go on for days about this and how it affects our society. Just FYI...a waist circumference of 35+ for women and 40+ for men is considered overweight/obese. Or a bodyfat of 30% (women) or more. So ignore the number on the tag of your pants and look at the facts of your actual body!

Kim Average - you are wrong about someone 5'3" and a size 14 being "definitely overweight, if not obese". That is my exact size and I am in the best shape of my life because I exercise and lift weights. I am NOT obese in any shape, form, or fashion! Please remember that just because someone fits into a slightly bigger size doesn't mean that they are 'fat' or 'obese'. Some of us work hard to maintain our figures and we all carry it differently. If someone is a size 14 with no muscle mass and they never get off the couch or out from in front of their computer... well, who cares? If that is how they want to spend their time, and that is how they are happy with themselves then leave them alone!
Everyone knows that there are stores tailored to toward certain body types and sizes, we learn where not to shop quickly and we go where we know we will find what we like. As for this woman's opinion of JCP... well I guess she will know better next time!

Actually if you visit your doctor they will tell you that at 5'3" tall and a size 14, you are obese. It's a medical fact.

This all sounds like a bunch of crying to me. I like JCP and I don't care that she doesn't. I'm sorry she doesn't understand us "middle" Americans and has to chastize us to make herself feel better, but she's allowed her opionion and the freedom to express it!

Keep telling that to yourself, if it makes your fatass feel better. Yeah average women may be like that, but who the heck likes average women? Size 8, you are fat. Ughhhhhh, disgusting. Probably full of cellulite. Turns my stomach upside down.