Ban on Skinny Models

Bold move

Published on September 12, 2006 By foreverserenity In Health & Medicine

It was very interesting to see this news article online from Reuters on Yahoonews.com, given a recent article I did on body image and our young girls; Link .

Two points in the article I'm posting below stood out very clearly to me on why what they’re doing in Italy is a good thing.

1: "Madrid's fashion week has turned away underweight models after protests that young girls and women were trying to copy their rail-thin looks and developing eating disorders".

2: " Organizers say they want to project an image of beauty and health, rather than a waif-like, or heroin chic look".

Although a lot of designers and modeling agencies are seemingly upset by this move, they are obviously not looking at the big picture here. While not advocating obesity, being healthy is very important, however, young girl starving themselves to look like the next cover model isn’t.

While not trying to say that being thin is wrong, not at all, it’s the things that these women do in order to look the way they do all because some designer wants to have a perfect size 0 to model their clothing.

This statement is also why many in the fashion industry will never get it and will continue to do what they always do:

3: "Elite's Gould said fashion was not to blame for eating disorders that usually started at home due to poor eating habits and constant dieting by mothers".

It is an irresponsible way to think and their mindset is what is making it difficult for most women, young and old these days. They (the fashion industry) may not be holding the food or the knife and fork to the mouth of women but they are certainly adding to the anxiety that many women experience because of how they view women's body and what their ideal of what a perfect woman is. Not everyone is a size 0 or 2 or 4. They consider a size 6, 8 and 12 fat, they need their heads examined!

I'm posting the article below:
_________________________-

Ban on skinny models shocks fashion world
By Andrew Hay2 hours, 23 minutes ago

The world's first ban on overly thin models at a top-level fashion show in Madrid has caused outrage among modeling agencies and raised the prospect of restrictions at other catwalk pageants.

Madrid's fashion week has turned away underweight models after protests that young girls and women were trying to copy their rail-thin looks and developing eating disorders.

Organizers say they want to project an image of beauty and health, rather than a waif-like, or heroin chic look.

But Cathy Gould, of New York's Elite modeling agency, said the fashion industry was being used as a scapegoat for illnesses like anorexia and bulimia.
"I think its outrageous, I understand they want to set this tone of healthy beautiful women, but what about discrimination against the model and what about the freedom of the designer," said Gould, Elite's North America director, adding that the move could harm careers of naturally "gazelle-like" models.
Madrid's regional government, which sponsors the show and imposed restrictions, said it did not blame designers and models for anorexia. It said the fashion industry had a responsibility to portray healthy body images.

"Fashion is a mirror and many teenagers imitate what they see on the catwalk," said regional official Concha Guerra.
The mayor of Milan, Italy, Letizia Moratti told an Italian newspaper this week she would seek a similar ban for her city's show unless it could find a solution to "sick" looking models. QUALITY, NOT SIZE. The Madrid show is using the body mass index or BMI -- based on weight and height -- to measure models. It has turned away 30 percent of women who took part in the previous event. Medics will be on hand at the September 18-22 show to check models.

Under the Madrid ruling, models must have a BMI rating of around 18. That would disqualify top Spanish model Esther Canadas, and supermodels like Kate Moss, based on unofficial records of their height and weight. "The restrictions could be quite a shock to the fashion world at the beginning, but I'm sure it's important as far as health is concerned," said Leonor Perez Pita, director of Madrid's show, also known as the Pasarela Cibeles.
When asked if they supported controls, seven Spanish designers showing at Madrid either declined to comment or said they did not want to become involved in the controversy. Designers in Milan gave a similar response.

A spokeswoman for the Association of Fashion Designers of Spain, which represents those at Madrid fashion week, said the group supported restrictions and its concern was the quality of collections, not the size of models.

Eating disorder activists said many Spanish model agencies and designers oppose the ban and they had doubts whether the new rules would be followed. "If they don't go along with it the next step is to seek legislation, just like with tobacco," said Carmen Gonzalez of Spain's Association in Defense of Attention for Anorexia and Bulimia, which has campaigned for restrictions since the 1990s.

Elite's Gould said fashion was not to blame for eating disorders that usually started at home due to poor eating habits and constant dieting by mothers.
So far, Madrid's move has yet to spark a worldwide trend toward catwalk shows with curvier figures.

London Fashion Week said in a statement it would not put restrictions on what type of models its designers use.
(Additional reporting by Sophie Hardach in Milan)

Comments

WyoMoo

on Sep 12, 2006

Okay...While I don't believe that eating disorders can be blamed fully on the fashion world, I do think that magazines and string bean models being the norm isn't okay either. I don't understand why stylists don't create more looks for average sized women, and show off their styles ON average sized women. Size sero is not average. Isn't a 10 or a 12 or something?

I'm a plus-sized gal. I always have been. I can eat fruit all day and exercise for hours but nothing seems to come off. Likewise, I bet lots of really thin women who want to gain weight have a difficult time, too, no matter how many platters of prime rib and mashed potatoes they eat and how many hours of tv they watch. And as I've grown older, I find that I think lots of my fellow women are beautiful. I find that just about everyone has a feature I would consider gorgeous. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and I think it's important to be realistic.

As far as models creating an anorexia/bulima "epidemic"...I don't think so. Eating disorders are illnesses--I think they're related to illnesses like OCD or alcoholism in a way. You can't blame it on "Cosmo"...you know?

Dr Guy

on Sep 12, 2006

Listen to WyoMoo (I wish she would register).

But I agree. I see so many girls (not women) that are so thin that they have to run around in a shower to get wet! And they are not at all appealing. In their mind, I know they think they are. And while we cannot blame the fashion industry as we do have free will, I guess we need to let all ladies know that healthy beats twiggy every day.

Even the "plus" size women are beautiful to me. It depends on how they hold themselves. Plus size is not fat. It is as the movie goes "Beautiful women have Curves". Twiggies dont have curves. healthy and Plus size women do. Some do let themselves go to pot. But others like WyoMoo work on their shape and are still beautiful to all but the most shallow of Hals.

WyoMoo

on Sep 12, 2006

DG...no...I'm fat. I'm not just "big boned" or whatever. What's funny though is that I bet I'm one of the most athletic morbidly obese women I've ever seen. I can do a cartwheel. Labor Day weekend I went on a quest for the perfect picture of a mountain lake, hiked all the way down, and climbed all the way back up (it sucked mind you...but I did it!)

And I am registered. You know who I am. I have asked admin to let me back but have received no reply (except silence!...I suppose that is a reply though, isn't it?).

You know what I find though? And it's probably because I have a stereotype in my head about these people, which isn't okay...I find that people that I consider to be exceedingly attractive are jerks. Maybe its because I act differently around them? Maybe it's because it's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy...I think th ey're not going to like me so they don't like me. I don't know. At any rate, I find that I'm more comfortable with people with more average looks. I can't see myself being best friends with a Twiggy.

ParaTed2k

on Sep 12, 2006

So Poison was just being prophetic when they sang "Unskinny Bop" ;~D

foreverserenity

on Sep 12, 2006

Isn't a 10 or a 12 or something?

In the fashion world those are plus sizes.

I'm a plus-sized gal. I always have been

Same here. However for me when I stopped taking care of me, example working out and not over indulging in certain foods, it showed! I've never been thin, I've been thinner than I am but never thin.

Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and I think it's important to be realistic.

Here, here!

As far as models creating an anorexia/bulima "epidemic"...I don't think so. Eating disorders are illnesses--I think they're related to illnesses like OCD or alcoholism in a way. You can't blame it on "Cosmo"...you know?

Yes, anorexia/bulima are illnesses. In order to keep working the models do have to keep themselves thin, or most times underweight. They smoke, do drugs and some develop the illnesses mentioned above. The fashion industry is not totally responsible for what people eat or do, however they do contribute 80 percent of why girls and women have a problem with their body images. Why don't we see full size women or regular sized women often on magazine covers? Why is it always the waif looking blonde? Why is it when you see someone with some meat on her bones, and I'm not talking fat, she is told that she needs to lose five pounds and she will be perfect? Why is her having an ass or thick firm thighs not ok?

Plus size is not fat.

It depends on what plus size you're talking about. There is plus size; there is big boned and there is fat and there is obese. It depends on how you see it.

Some do let themselves go to pot. But others like WyoMoo work on their shape and are still beautiful to all but the most shallow of Hals.

True! Being healthy means taking care of yourself.

Labor Day weekend I went on a quest for the perfect picture of a mountain lake, hiked all the way down, and climbed all the way back up (it sucked mind you...but I did it!)

Good for you!

You know who I am

I'm guessing! (waves! nice to see you!)

I can't see myself being best friends with a Twiggy.

That's too bad. It all depends on how much confidence you have in yourself, but I do understand the reservation because as you say, some can be jerks. At any rate, anyone who would use your size as a reason not to be your friend, isn't worth the time!

So Poison was just being prophetic when they sang "Unskinny Bop"

I've not heard it I think. Or maybe I have but don't remember. Nice to 'see' you Ted!

Dr Guy

on Sep 13, 2006

You know who I am.

It is good to see you again. Good luck with the trivia.

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