THINGS DON'T ADD UP
BY KIRK BAIRD, Chicago Sun-Times

For decades consumers have been led to believe "thin is in." The trouble is, too many women aren't in or thin.

One in three Americans is overweight today. Between the 1950s and 2003, the average dress size increased from a 6 to a 14.

"It used to be that your clothing had to be age appropriate. That's no longer true," said Mercedes Gonzalez, director of Global Purchasing Group, a clothing buyer for 100 independent specialty stores nationwide. "Now it has to be size appropriate."

Gonzalez said plus-size clothing for men, women, teens and children is now a $27 billion business.

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