From new research in the Journal of Consumer Research:

"We recommend that overweight consumers attempt to avoid looking at ads with any models, thin or heavy (perhaps by avoiding women's magazines),"

This study looked at the way individuals of differing BMI's responded to pictures of thin or heavy models. The results are fascinating.

Normal weight females:

• Felt better when exposed to extremely heavy models and moderately thin models.
• Felt worse when exposed to moderately heavy models (because they feel similar) and extremely thin models (because they feel dissimilar).

Overweight females:

• Felt worse no matter what size models they looked at.

Incredibly "overweight and underweight women showed comparable levels of self-esteem when they weren't looking at models".