Carla Burton says fat can be beautiful.

She is an anomaly in what she calls a "sad breed." Her face glows with health, and the pride that she "look(s) better as a fat person." Burton, a former model, insists that she is fat and fit.

"If you look into the faces of fat women, they hurt, because they know [how] they’re perceived, whereas thinner women are being admired," Burton says.

Women's insecurities about their bodies have their roots in the stereotypes thrust at them by advertisers, says Paula Martin, regional communications manager in the U.S. and Canada for the Body Shop, an international skin and hair products company.

"Within the last thirty to fifty years, stereotypes have been getting reinforced in the fact that what's being promoted are very young, very beautiful models that are not a realistic size for most women today," Martin says.

In 1997, the company launched a campaign against the fashion industry’s unattainable beauty standards with Ruby, their "true-to-life Barbie doll."