Models Shunned in the Name of Self Esteem
Waifs Beware - Anorexia Isn't Glamorous Anymore
The constant argument that fashion models, and even Barbie dolls, are sending the wrong message to young girls is as old as I am. While Mattel was finally forced to change Barbie's bust line to a more "realistic" size proportionate to her frame, (they overlooked the fact that Barbie - if she were real - would be about six feet tall and weigh 100 pounds) the fashion industry seemed to pick and choose models with less and less body mass with each photo shoot.
As I mentioned in a past article, Dove stirred up the masses with their "Beautiful" campaign for self esteem that featured women of average weight and height posing in print ads and billboards. The outrage displayed was almost comical.
TLC (The Learning Channel) soon jumped on the bandwagon with their show Cover Shot, hosted by leggy supermodel Frederique. The show's goal: to make over an average woman and turn her into a cover model in 48 hours. At the end of the show she is revealed in all her newfound glamour on a billboard. The show both boosts the chosen woman's self esteem and shows her even though she is "average" she can still be viewed as sexy and glamorous.
In the wake of changes with television ads, and doll figures came the biggest blow to the world of anorexic models everywhere - there is such a thing as being too thin. The Spanish runway fashion show Pasarela Cibeles, hosted in Madrid, turned away what they called "slews" of models - because they were too thin.
Pasarela Cibeles, which is to run from September 18 - 22, has a theme of health and beauty and the waifs didn't fit the bill. Organizers calculated each potential models' body mass indexes and turned away anyone not within the 18.5 - 24.9 range. The pageant estimated that 30 percent of the models that showed up hoping to land a spot in the show flunked the body mass index test.
The fashion show did not act alone. The Madrid government put pressure on the show's organizers to hire fuller figured models to serve as role models for young girls. Girls that are at risk of developing eating disorders in a quest to be as perfect as models they admire.
While there is no health benefit to being overweight, there certainly is no plus side where eating disorders and drug use to get thin and stay thin are concerned. Being satisfied with who you are comes from within. Learning to love oneself, regardless of what we don't like about ourselves, is a work in progress. We must all remember to celebrate who we are, not what we wish we were.
Published by Katie Just
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- For decades the fashion industry has been dominated by rail-thin models like Twiggy and Kate Moss.
- The biggest blow to the world of anorexic models everywhere: there is such a thing as being too thi
- The Madrid government put pressure on the show to hire fuller figured models to serve as role models
9 Comments
Post a CommentIf I hear one more time Kate Moss being referred to as "waif," rail thin, emaciated, super thin, etc., I will huff and puff and blow a house down. I even wrote an article about Kate Moss being the poster child for rail thinness. She is NOT, and NEVER WAS, rail thin. If you put Kate Moss next to Calista Flockhart, who's the rail-thin one? There is no comparison. I have seen plenty of models thinner than Kate Moss. Kate Moss does not, and never did, have the thinness of an Olympic marathon runner. Ever see those distance runners? Now THAT'S thin and waify. The actress who played Kimmie on "Full House" is another true waif. Kate Moss has 20 pounds on her easily. I've seen plenty of Kate Moss in the media. Her arms are nowhere near the thinnest out there. Neither are her legs. People see a model on a bill board who's half naked and has A-cup breasts, and automatically see her as a waif.
Great article! I'd love to see fewer stick thin women in the fashion industry. :-)
Great article! Bravo!!
Big thank you's to all four of you that commented. My intention was not to say being thin was hurtful - it's the way models keep thin to keep their jobs that worries me. While I did not include data about models using drugs and developing eating disorders, because it wasn't the focus of my article, however there is loads of information on "tricks" models use to maintain skeletal figures for the sake of their jobs. Our daughters read about this stuff and think hey if _____ model is doing it so can I because she's perfect. Not all of it is legal or sensible dieting. Anyway, Sherri, Manda, and Kim all got what I was going for.
Hi Katie, Your article is proportionately written. I don't think it bashes "all thin women" as Ms. Gilford suggests. What it said was that the fashion show turned away the models who didn't fit the bill.
I think that Madrid has the right idea... it'll catch on. Frankly, I don't like having my kids think that you have to be some sickly drug addict to be in that industry. Defining the annorexic or junkie as sexy is just plain nasty. I agree with Sherri on the article and katie on the comment, 130lb for a nearly 6 ft tall woman is still a size 4 or 5 depending on where she carried her weight. Usually woman have a tendency to carry in the bust and butt... that would be a very refreshing figure as opposed to the strung out look.
Given the height of preofessional runway models being at around 5"8" to 6'0" tall - 130 pounds is still quite thin. Thanks for commenting!
Just because a person is below a BMI of 18 doesn't mean they have an eating disorder. Frankly, I don't want to see a full page spread of a 130 lb. woman in a bikini. You can be thin and fit.
What a great article! I love your words of wisdom on page 2.