You can't say models don't eat ... because Samantha Hoopes just put her foot in her mouth, saying she can't get on S.I.'s Swimsuit Issue cover due to her weight -- or lack thereof.
Samantha was at LAX signing tons of her swimsuit modeling shots for fans ... when we asked what's the deal with her NOT scoring a cover shot. It's clearly a sore subject because she immediately threw shade at bigger models ... suggesting S.I. might give her a look IF she packed on some pounds.
She quickly pled JK, but it feels like her joke's at least partially based on real feelings.