Former Plus-Size Model Crystal Renn in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue [PHOTOS]

Crystal Renn poses for Sports Ilustrated

Former Plus Size Model Crystal Renn in SI Swimsuit Edition

Crystal Renn graces the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, looking ravishing in pics that range from one-piece to bikini ... to topless.

But did you know that Renn was once a plus-size model?

To back up things a bit, Renn got her start at age 14 in the modeling world when she was discovered by a scout, but was told she had to lose almost a third of her body weight to become a model.

She set her sights on that goal and went on to a successful modeling career, but not without sacrifices to her health.

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For years, Renn suffered from anorexia, but finally turned it around, gaining 70 pounds and switching over to the world of plus size models, as a U.S. size 12.

Renn even wrote a book about her modeling journey, titled, Hungry: A Young Model's Story of Appetite, Ambition and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves.

Now, Renn says she has lost the weight through healthy eating, yoga and hiking, dropping to a size 8.

Though she faces criticism that her weight loss was due to modeling industry pressure, she assured in a recent interview, "When this whole weight loss thing happened, I think that a lot of people wanted to point their finger at somebody."

Read: Naked Plus Size Model Shows How Skinny "Regular" Models Are (Photos)

She added, "I think that they wanted to find a conspiracy where there absolutely was none. A lot of people said the industry was pressuring me, my agency was pressuring me, I was pressuring me, but it was just not the case in all three cases."

See Renn show off her sexy body in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue photos HERE.

What do you think of her decision to lose weight and end her plus size modeling career?

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