America Ferrera for W May 2007

Here is a first look at America Ferrera photographed by Michael Thompson for W May 2007. At first I was not so sure what I felt about this cover choice -- America is rather "safe" at a US size 6 or 8 -- but the photography is beautiful and it appears she was not airbrushed into oblivion ala Jennifer Hudson's Vogue cover. The article is a breath of fresh air compared to other mags' profiles of Ferrera, with only a paragraph devoted to any talk of her weight; author Jenny Comita recognizes that with all the constant reporting on this, "it seems she can't win."

"Of course I want to be at a weight where I'm happy," says Ferrera, who in person is neither lumpy nor emaciated but a healthy-looking, average-size woman. "There are times when I go to the gym and really try, and there are times when I just don't. I gain a pound; I lose a pound. But I think I've developed a really good sense of when I'm doing something for myself as opposed to when I'm doing something because of other people's expectations of me."

I have seen nothing but positive feedback so far [outside of the usual complaints re: styling and non-model covers], even from body-obsessed TFS. I love that W appears to be embracing some non-traditional celebrities like America and Ellen Degeneres for their cover stories.

Read the full story at Style.com