It is said that little girls should dream a size too big so that they can grow into it. And, as they grow, it is not uncommon to chase that glamorous dream of walking the catwalks of glitzy New York, Paris, London and Milan wearing the fabulous creations of well known designers, making tons of money, basking in the limelight of fame and living it up in a plush hotel suite. For some, that dream has become a reality, but for others, it has become a terrible life-threatening nightmare as they fall victim to the dreadful consequence of striving to attain the thin body image needed to fit into zero-size designer clothing. The rise in the number of “anorexic models,” as they are called, is a particularly disturbing outcome of a catwalker’s imagined or real fear of gaining weight–and losing in the process, their glamorous and lucrative jobs. The eating disorder may start with just intense exercise and harsh dieting. Then the disease gradually distorts the person’s self image and capacity to discern unhealthy, and even dangerous behavior.
To be sure, the fashion industry does not have a monopoly of women with eating disorders as it can afflict almost anybody living or working in an environment or having a frame of mind that predisposes him to the disease. The fact, however, that anorexic models are increasingly becoming a common sight on the catwalk is indicative of the higher risk of anorexia nervosa developing in appearance-oriented jobs such as modeling. This concern may be validated by the continuing preference of designers and fashion magazines for small-sized models that could fit into zero-sized designer clothes. More disturbing is that the fashion industry as a whole not only encourages the skinny, waif-like look among its glamorous catwalkers, but infects the outlook and frame of mind of the young trendy people who admire anorexic models.
The death of well-known anorexic models, Ana Carolina Reston and sisters Eliana and Luisel Ramos has led some fashion show facilitators to rethink their preference for the “skinny look” which caused some fashion centers like Madrid to move away from the “thin trend” by requiring model to have a minimum body mass index of 18 before they could appear in fashion shows. The WHO qualifies 16 as starvation body mass index, while anorexic models have a BMI of even below that figure. Hopefully, this precedent setting change in Madrid fashion runways will free anorexic models from the invisible bars of anorexia nervosa and lead them towards the path of wellness and health.
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