WTF Friday: Ioana Spangenberg’s 20″ Waist

February 10, 2012 3:00 pm     Posted in Body, Health, TMZ RSS, WTF  Jenny University of Texas g+ page


By Jenny University Of Texas

Our society generally assumes that ‘body issues’ spawn from the desire to be thinner. Ioana Spangenberg actually suffers from the opposite. This Romanian born, 30 year old model has been trying to gain weight for the past 15 years. I was skeptical of her weight gaining efforts at first, but in Romania men consider heavier women more attractive, because it is a sign of wealth. It’s no surprise, then, that Ioana found her dating situation less than favorable. I imagine being on the receiving end of gawking disapproval can’t do much for your self esteem. At the time her waist was a mere 15 inches!

Ioana blames her hourglass shape on her small stomach. Despite eating three hefty meals a day, she finds it nearly impossible to gain even a few pounds. Many people are skeptical and believe that her tiny waist is the result of corsets and an eating disorder, but she insists this isn’t true. She was incredibly self conscious about her abnormal figure until she met her husband. She says , “he was the first person to see me as beautiful.” He taught her to love her shape and be totally comfortable in her own skin. Does he have a brother?

While I think Ioana has a very unique situation, I hope that girls do not make achieving this shape a new weight loss goal–this is not attainable for 99% of women. What should be taken from her story is that it is possible to be happy with your body whatever its shape.

What do you think about Ioana’s size? How thin is too thin?

9 Comments on "WTF Friday: Ioana Spangenberg’s 20″ Waist"

  1. Alexandra says:
    Fri, 10th Feb 201211:55 pm 

    "in Romania men consider heavier women more attractive, because it is a sign of wealth." Really? Maybe like, 2 to 3 generations ago when Romania was mostly agrarian and highly impoverished. Having lived half of my life there I can tell you for a fact women there are far more obsessed with being skinny than in most other places I've been. Kim Kardashian would be considered obese in Romania.

  2. Abby says:
    Sun, 12th Feb 20128:49 am 

    That is not a natural figure, yes some bodies have extreme Waist to Hip ratios but hers is obviously do to manipulation through wearing corsets!
    http://onestilettoatatime.blogspot.com

  3. Sylvia says:
    Sun, 12th Feb 201210:51 am 

    would have to agree to Alexandra…
    Unfortunately, Romania is one of the most cruel places to be as a curvy woman. From the age of 12-13, girls are taught that being skinny will make people notice them and they are verbally criticized when they are not when society wants them to be.

  4. David says:
    Sun, 12th Feb 20125:27 pm 

    Thats so messed up, women are supposed to have curvy bodies, it shows that they are ready to birth children and with this lady I doubt she will ever have any( not without killing herself and/or the baby). Romanias logic is flawed.

  5. Nik says:
    Mon, 13th Feb 20121:26 am 

    I guess no one has considered the fact that her waistline could be in fact natural regardless of how weight is viewed in Romania. People in countries, outside of North America, tend to have more rare and bizarre physical abnormalties and circumstances. I find her body shape fascinating although I love my own curves. And since no one knows the truth besides Ioana guess we have to take her word for it!

  6. Rob in Bucharest says:
    Mon, 13th Feb 20125:13 am 

    Such bullshit I read about Romania in comments on several sites which tell about Ioana Spangenberg. I am a Dutchman living since 15 years in Bucharest and I consider Romanians more "normal" and "natural" than people in Holland. Girls are generally shorter than in Holland, Germany and Skandinavian countries, but well proportioned and with very expressive looks! Romanian men usualla do not have perverse views on women (quite different from many Dutch men).

    I have been a fan of Ioana since her LAST pictures appeared on the internet about one year ago (all the agitiation about her is based on OLD photographs, unfortunately). I like her fragile figure. I wish her luck in her modelling carreer and hope to find NEW pictures soon.

    One more word: Ioana take a good manager. Let him do the talking so you don't hurt your image and Romania's!

  7. RJJ says:
    Wed, 29th Feb 20123:24 pm 

    Women aren't "supposed" to have curvy bodies anymore than men are supposed to look like bodybuilders. Some women are naturally thin and healthy. Being thin doesn't mean you can't have kids either, I've known several size 0 and size 2 women who had kids without any complications.

    And I hate to break it to you, but thinness is held up as the ideal body type for women in most of the developed world. It's not just a Romanian thing.

  8. Howard says:
    Tue, 3rd Apr 20128:10 am 

    I agree with Rob
    Ioana is a very attractive Girl and I wish Ioana luck with her career. Why can't people believe that yes some people are shaped naturally differently to others!
    I hope that all this negative attitude does not discourage Ioana. By her own statements she says that she has been bullied throughout her life due to her figure, I think she to come out after being stigmatized by long term bullying is a brave thing to do. A lot of people will find her type very attractive and if she is lucky enough to eat what she wants and not gain weight then more power to her. I just hope she does not listen to all those Bullies out their putting her down!

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