Update: We're in the Top 15%!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for supporting what began as my petition but is now all of ours. We are more than halfway to our goal—only 42 more signatures to go! And I received an email from Change.org notifying me that this petition is in the top 15 percent! Only 15 percent of petitions reach the level of support we’ve achieved, and in fact, as I write this, we’ve exceeded that level. Your comments—from Bangalore to New York to Stockholm to Massachusetts to the United Kingdom to Ohio—have encouraged and moved me, and I am more confident than ever that we can make a difference for our children. But this is just the beginning. I’m reaching out to other media outlets, advocates for children, parenting blogs and websites, and influencers who have spoken out about body-shaming to help spread the word about how “Plus,” “Slim,” and “Husky” labels pose real risks to children’s self-esteem and body image. If there’s anyone you know of that you think could help, thank you for letting me know or reaching out to them directly. Together, I believe we can effect some real positive change! Also, some people have asked what's the alternative to these labels, and would it be any better? One answer to that is numbers. Why not categorize kids' clothes in a way that's similar to how men's pants are sized, by varying waist and length measurements (e.g., 34W x 32L vs. 38W x 34L, and so on). Another answer is to expand the options listed under Regular: Move the sizes currently listed under Special to the Regular section because otherwise, in essence, brands are calling certain children irregular. Not OK. I also like Prof. Neumark-Sztainer's recommendation, included in my Newsweek piece, of gathering input from people of diverse body types to see what would work best for them. I do not have all the answers right now, but I do know we can do better than the current labels. Thank you, thank you, thank you again for your support. Kindest regards, Rasika