Models+and+Eating+Disorders


 * Models and Eating Disorders, Hand in Hand **

Models truly evoke their job description. Not only do they model clothes as well as brands, but they model thinness as "role models" to adolescents worldwide. They label the sizes ranging from 00-3 and weight ranging from 120-125 pounds as average. Fashion industries and mainstream media provide women with a pressured, unhealthy, cruel model of the importance of being unrealistically thin. Establishing weight requirements and health codes for current as well as future models would not only be beneficial for the face of the fashion industries but more importantly the faces of our current and future generations.

Dating back to the 1960's "thin" has always been "in" for the fashion industry. It is proven that nine out of ten teenage girls feel pressured by not only the fashion industries but by the media as well (J. Evea). Companies such as Ambercrombie and Fitch have established the double zero sizes which is now making the new craze not to be a zero, but a double zero. A double zero is equivalent to a child's size twelve (B. North). These sizes are unrealistic for teenage girls and the fashion industry supports these numbers fully. As a result of unhealthy images, we start to see anorexia and bulimia take over the lives of women and men around the world.

Over the past decade, fashion industries have remotely started to admit their role in how adolescent eating disorders tie into their use of ultra-thin, skeletal looking models. These images have dominated the covers and pages of magazines and have become the image of movies. For a young girl who lacks self-esteem, and strives for that unhealthy body image that society has labeled as beautiful, the images that are slathered all over magazine covers and television screens become her deadly obsession. What that girl does not know is that the average weight for a woman who is 5'10'' is between 142-150 pounds. The average 5'10'' model weighs between 120-124 pounds. Doing the math reveals that an average model weighs about twenty three percent less than an average, everyday woman (J. Evea). From a doctor's perspective, any woman's BMI that falls below an eighteen is considered unhealthy (Today). Most models are below that eighteen average labeling them as unhealthy and putting in perspective what it does truly mean to be the "society form" of beautiful. Weight restrictions requiring a minimum BMI of 18 would bring beautiful back to healthy.

//Chanel// Designer Karl Lagerfeld is known for his belief that those complaining these models are too skinny are just fat and jealous. He is quoted saying, "These are fat mummies sitting with their bags of crisps in front of the television, saying that thin models are ugly" (J. Evea). //Chanel// is one of the biggest faces in fashion, because of this the inside world of this company is brutal and stubborn. Lagerfeld's belief is not only a personal one, but also the connecting idea that makes up the image of //Chanel// designs. Being a respected designer promoting women who do not lack curves to become self-destructive towards their bodies becomes the culprit of anorexia nervous and bulimia in the minds of our youth.

Kelly Cutrone, a publicist, states that, "Clothes look better on thin people. The fabric hangs better" (J. Evea). As false as this statement is, the message behind it plants the idea of being thin into the minds of any person within society. Well surprise, surprise clothing hangs better on realistically thin models too. The reality is that models model an ideal that more than likely cannot be achieved by any average human being. The simple task of eating healthy and regular exercise with the establishment of BMI and weight requirements could turn the fashion industry in the right direction of becoming an actual "role model" for society.

The argument at hand is these models are looked up to for a reason and that putting weight restrictions in place will be discouraging them from doing their jobs. This leads into the fact that BMI does not take into account the bone density and fat percentage (C. Johnson). This matter of fact can be resolved by simply putting regulations on a model's fat percentage as well. Society also takes into account that any eating disorder is a mental disorder that the fashion industry cannot be held responsible for. The truth that we do not hold other role models, such as rock stars with drug addictions, responsible for having a negative effect on the population. The cold hard truth is that fashion is promoting unhealthy weights which can be fixed through the enforcement of weight restrictions. This will lead to an impact in the fashion world and form a basis of positive change among society.

Weight regulations are a simple element to put into place. The fashion industries are not willing to stray away from their norm, their norm of a deathly image ruining the lives of adolescents on a day to a day basis. The inside perspective proves that their views on average women can be described as lazy, jealous, potato chip-eating mummies (K. Lagerfeld). Is that a message that should be portrayed in the eye of the public as beautiful? Establishing weight requirements and health codes for models within the fashion industries would be advantageous for the future face of the fashion industry, but also for the image of being a healthy beautiful in the eyes of our future.

Works cited

Bjoern North "Is The Fashion Industry Responsible For Eating Disorders | Health Reform." //Health Reform//. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. < http://www.healthreform.biz/health/is-the-fashion-industry-responsible-for-eating-disorders/ >.

Evea, Juliet. "The Effects Of The Fashion Industry On Eating Disorders | fashionspirations." //fashionspirations//. N.p., 29 Jan. 2011. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. < http://fashionspirations.com/2010/04/07/the-effects-of-the-fashion-industry-on-eating-disorders/ >.

Johnson, Carol A. "Models, minimum weight: Debatabase - Debate Topics and Debate Motions." //IDEA: International Debate Education Association - Debate Resources & Debate Tools//. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. < http://www.idebate.org/debatabase/topic_details.php?topicID=626 >.

//Today: "//Fashion bosses agree to debate health issue - Entertainment - The Arts - TODAYshow.com." //TODAYshow.com: Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry, Al Roker, Natalie Morales - Video, News, Recipes, Health, Pets//. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. < http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/16827607/ns/today-entertainment/ >.