Cheryl Tiegs blasts Sports Illustrated for featuring 'plus size' Ashley Graham on Swimsuit issue cover

Ashley Graham is the first plus size model to be on the cover of a Swimsuit magazine.

Yesteryear Sports Illustrated cover girl Cheryl Tiegs has hit out against the choice of Ashley Graham as a cover girl for the magazine's Swimsuit edition.

Cheryl Tiegs, who has appeared on SI cover multiple times said a "plus size model" isn't healthy, picking out the voluptous Graham from among the three models featured on the cover.

The Sports illustrated magazine released three different covers for its annual Swimsuit Issue 2016 featuring Ronda Rousey, Ashley Graham and Hailey Clauson.

As a source told E Online, the move was a "nod to female empowerment."

Ashley Graham, one of the cover ladies of Sports Illustrated 2016, is a plus size model. In face Graham has said previously she hates to be calle a "plus size woman".

It is the first time a plus size model in a true sense has been featured alone on the cover of any magazine. Where the fellow models and twitterati are all in praise for Ashley Graham, yesteryear SI cover girl Cheryl Tiegs doesn't look so happy.

In a recent Pre Oscar party, Cheryl told E! News that featuring a plus size model on a cover page of a magazine is kind of unhealthy.

"I don't think it's healthy. Her face is beautiful. Beautiful. But I don't think it's healthy in the long run", she said.

The 68 year old further added: "I don't like that we're talking about full-figured women because it's glamorizing them because your waist should be smaller than 35 [inches]. That's what Dr. Oz said, and I'm sticking to it."

Cheryl Tiegs had appeared on the cover of the Swimsuit issue a couple of times in the 70s and the 80s.