Models Are Too Skinny

I know this story is a few weeks old but I still wanted to say something on it. Ana Carolina Reston and Luisel Ramos both models, have died in the last six months of Anorexia. Ana died on November 14 and Luisel on August 2. Both were under the 18.5 Body Mass Index (BMI) that is considered the lower limit for being healthy. Spain recently banned models under an 18 BMI. A 15 BMI is considered to be the starvation point. Ana was at a 13.4 BMI at the time of her death and Luisel was at a 13.5 BMI at her death.

The fact that the fashion industry were actively using both of these models at the time on their deaths shows the complete disregard the entire industry has for the health of models and of women in general. Luisel practically died on a runway and Ana was two weeks away from a photo shoot. The Industry will give excuse after excuse - I no longer wish to hear it. They have shown they will not govern themselves so government will have to govern them. I like were Spain has started with the 18 BMI but more has to be done.

Airbrushing and cropping are an industry standard. While airbrushing can make a model look completely different for the most part is really does not do a lot of harm. Cropping on the other hand does. This is where an editor will look at a picture of a model and decide what areas to either enhance (breast, legs, etc) or improve (hips, arms, waist, etc.). I think it was Jaime Lee Curtis who was so appalled at the cropping a magazine had done on her that she posed for another set of pictures with nothing done including make-up. The difference was incredible. The editors had given her body a completely different look. She was noticeably skinner. The magazine tried to give somekinda art answer like the pictures were a work of art and not necessarily an accurate representation of the model (Jaime Lee Curtis). So besides the BMI limit we should limit the altering of photos. If we as a people do this maybe, just maybe, some women won't die of anorexia.