Model Kate Upton Is 'Confident' About Her Body

Kate Upton, 20, has hit her stride this year, beginning by being named the cover girl of Sports Illustrated's 2012 Swimsuit Issue in February, and then keeping her name hot on the presses with a string of romance rumors that involved sports stars such as the Detroit Tigers' Justin Verlander and the New York Jets' Mark Sanchez. But now that Upton is rapidly achieving household-name status, she's revealing that she's got a point or two to make about the expectations placed on the female body.

"I don't want to starve myself. I still want to hang out with my family and be a normal girl," she told Vogue in a new interview and photo spread. "You have to be confident, and that doesn't mean starving yourself. I think it's important to look at magazines and think a healthy lifestyle is attainable. Now that the fashion industry likes the idea of me, I'm happy if I can have an influence."

As for why she has found herself at the height of fame despite her more curvaceous body and looks that some have criticized as "ordinary" (earlier this year Victoria's Secret dismissed her as "the kind of face that anyone with enough money can go out and buy," according to the Daily Mail), Upton remarks, "Actually, I don't really know why [the industry has] chosen me. But I'm excited because I love fashion. And I am excited to be in a place where I can be a good example."

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