There are increasing concerns about the effect that the fashion industry has had on teenage girls and young women. Legislators worry that the increased emulation of the eating patterns of fashion models is having an undeniable contribution to the eating disorders evident in teenage girls and young women. This issue increased its gravity after the death of Luisel Ramos during a fashion week in Uruguay. The girl, reportedly, died of heart failure as she exited the runway in Montevideo. This, therefore, triggered the existing necessity for legislation over the limits of skinniness in the modeling industry (Laucius 1) and led to implementation of BMI legislation in Spain. Given the impact that the skinniness in the industry has on the young female community, there is need for such intervention.
There’s substantial empirical evidence that ultra-thin models contribute to eating disorders among women. A study conducted by two marketing researchers showed that women get more attracted to products that are hawked by thin (beautiful) models, even if the appearance of the models makes them question their beauty. A college study of young women with a product booklet with models and another without models showed that women get a negative feeling about their appearance after seeing modeled products but they are more likely to buy the products that are modeled by these thin women. This means that they associate beauty with thinness and thus they are likely to develop eating disorders while attempting to get thinner (Klonick 1).
Eating-disorder experts and psychologists have also confirmed that the modeling/fashion industry poses a negative influence to the eating habits of women. The models in the fashion industry tend to be thinner every modeling season and thus psychologists are greatly concerned that young girls and women may try to emulate them. The psychologists argue that modeling promotes anorexia by making the already anorexic women have the misconception that they are normal. It also makes healthy girls to develop negative feelings about their appearance and thus they may engage in unhealthy weight-control behaviors. These behaviors include anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and are generally referred to as disordered eating (Hellmich 1).
Due to the concerns about the effect of model-thinness on the young female community, the Madrid fashion show banned ultra-thin models from the catwalk in 2006, in a bid to balance beauty with health. The ban set a limit of a height-to-weight ratio of 18. This BMI means that a woman who is 5 feet 9 inches tall must be at least 125 pounds. This ban led to concerns over the necessity of legislation in this sector in Milan, India and Britain but experts argue that the success of such legislation in the U.S. depends on consumer demand. They argue that the consumers have to demand non-anorexic figures for such legislation to be successfully effected here (Klonick 1).
The effect of the ultra-thinness characteristic of the modeling industry on the eating disorders of teenage and young women is indubitable. A lot of women have developed anorexic behaviors while trying to cut weight and become as “beautiful” as fashion models. Although some countries like Spain have developed legislations regulating ultra-thinness, the efficacy of such regulation is not guaranteed due to the mindsets of consumers. There is, therefore, a dire need to develop strategies aimed at changing the misconceptions held by the users of fashion products regarding beauty. This is the only way that regulation of ultra-thinness can be effectively implemented. The strategies should actively involve fashion organizers to ensure that they are fully implemented and that no incidences of non-compliance occur. This way, eating disorders among young women in the quest for beauty will be reduced.
Works Cited
Hellmich, Nanci. “Do thin models warp girls’ body image?” 2006. Web.
Klonick, Kate. “New Message to Models: Eat!” 2010, Web.
Laucius. Joanne. “Why skinny sells.” 2008. Web.