Looks like 2007 is shaping up (filling out?) to be the Year of the Muffin Top.

"Muffin top" describes the roll of flab that spills out over the waistband of a too-tight pair of jeans. The term apparently was coined in Australia a few years back and has since taken root in the compost heap of American pop culture. It was even given a prominent shoutout on NBC's "30 Rock," with a song penned in its honor. (Sample lyric: "Everyone knows the most delicious part of the muffin is the top!")

Contributing to this celebration of pudge is a most unlikely source: Miss Tyra Banks, supermodel, Victoria's Secret angel, Sports Illustrated swimsuit goddess, and talk-show diva who once put on a fat suit so she could experience "size-ism" firsthand and tearfully recount how mean everyone was to her. Her patronizing stunts and media overexposure left me plain sick and Tyra-ed — until the supermarket tabloids printed candid photos of her very un-modelish figure stuffed into a one-piece at the beach.

Then I was all, "You go girl!"

To her credit, "Thigh-ra," as she was dubbed by those mean-spirited gossip rags, embraced her muffin top and bravely revealed that her normal, nonmodeling weight was a Rubenesque 161 pounds.

Women everywhere cheered.

In another milestone for big girls, Tyra welcomed two plus-size finalists on the new season of "America's Next Top Model." It's a little guilty pleasure because it's fun watching the wannabes' fragile self-esteem disintegrate into a pile of dust each week as they go before the merciless Miss T, the two Jays and the other judges. And now, two BBWs (big, beautiful women) are sharing in the show's catfights and emotional breakdowns, just like their skeletal counterparts.

Then came Jennifer "Dreamgirls" Hudson, whose triumphant Oscar win is never mentioned in the media without also reminding folks that she's got a powerhouse figure to match her powerhouse pipes. (How come no one feels compelled to comment on size when the winner is a stick figure like Nicole Kidman? And heaven forbid if poor Kate Winslet packs on a few pounds. When will white entertainment culture accept the muffin top?)

I haven't checked on Oprah lately but she must be due for another diet lapse. I say that not with malice, but because it's a comfort to know that one of the richest, most admired women in the world wrestles with weight issues, just like I do. It makes her seem more human and it makes me feel better about the baker's dozen in residence at my waistline.

Please save your scolding e-mails. I am aware that obesity is no joke. It is one of the top health concerns of our time, and most people who are overweight will agree it's no low-carb picnic. But when you have to struggle with it from hour to hour and day to day, it's nice to lighten up a bit once in a while and know you're in good company.

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.