Zach Miko made headlines last month when the IMG modeling agency added him to their roster and became the first plus-size male model.

“For some reason in our society, size has gotten a bad rap. There’s a lot of negative connotations to words like “big’, or “heavy’ or something like that,”; says Miko.

And that is something that the 26-year old wants to change.

“What I’m hoping is if a young man or a young woman can open up a magazine, see someone like me or see someone like Ashley and think, I’m similar to this person, this is the first time I’ve felt a connection to one of these models.“; Zach, of course, is referring to Ashley Graham who also made headlines this year when she graced the cover of Sports Illustrated’s famed Swimsuit Issue.

“I weigh a hundred pounds more than the average male model. My waistline is about 12 inches bigger than the average male model. I’m significantly larger than what fashion has put forward in the past.”;

A typical male model is between 5’9″ and 6’2″. Zach is 6’6″ tall. The average male model weighs between 160 and 180 pounds. Zach weighs 275 pounds. And a male model usually has a 28″ waist. Zach has a 42″ waist.

“Hopefully this opens the gate to see every type there is,”; says Zach.

Zach didn’t believe he could become a model, but his wife certainly did.

“She always thought this was a possibility. She used to joke with me, like, “You could be a model.’ And again, I was 6’6″, 275 pounds so I was like, “I think you’re wrong about that.'”;

Even though it’s not talked about as much, Zach says many men have body image issues and he’s hoping his new-found fame will help to curb that.  Watch more below:

Instead of using the term “plus-size’, IMG has created the Brawn division.

“Like when we talk about Brawn, we talk about power, we talk about physical strength, and all these amazing things about size without the negative hang-ups that might come along with that… I want a guy to open up a magazine and say, “Hey, this guy looks great but he looks just like me. And maybe that means I can do something like this.'”;

Zach’s modeling contract has made him an instant celebrity to all kinds of people.

“Yeah, the mailman yelled at me. That was fun. I was walking by and he’s like “Yo, Miko I saw you in the paper,’ and I was like, “I don’t know what paper, but cool.'”;

But perhaps most significant is the support Zach has received from the general public.

“It’s so heartfelt — especially from bigger people sending me messages being like, “I saw your story and it made me feel good about who I am, so thank you.'”;