The Negative Effects of the Fashion Industry on Eating Disorders

ENG 150 18 October 2012 The Negative Effects of the Fashion Industry on Eating Disorders While it’s fashion week in London, the size “zero” models start to prepare for the big show by purging to be as thin as possible. Most models starve themselves in order to achieve the “waif”, stick-thin figure; it becomes so addictive, almost like second nature that it further leads to serious eating disorders. From recent studies, today’s model weighs about 23% less than the normal woman. Clearly, most models do not depict the average woman. Men and women all over the world follow the influences that the fashion industry provides.

They believe that the fashion industry depicts on what society should be acknowledged as, picture-perfect thin. Most models look like they had descended from heaven, but in reality they live in a sad world where body image is what is considered beautiful and they would do just about anything to achieve it. Society is also taking a nose dive into this self-deprecating environment, where it is definitely not healthy for a person to develop and thrive. As Naomi Hooke, anorexia survivor, acknowledges, “Anorexia has often been perceived as a quest for model-like beauty . . many anorexics detest their bodies,” she then further goes into detail how this industry became her downfall (3). These waifish models on the runway cause major damage in the well-being of many, as well as their own; they create body image complexes that haunt women forever. Yes, the fashion industry is well known for the classic thin models, although in the 1950’s models symbolized the beauty of the average woman, full figured and all, but today’s models should not depict to an individual on what they should be perceived to look like, yet it happens every day.

When a victim of eating disorders views a model, they think, “Why am I so fat? Why don’t I look like her? What do I need to do to look like that? ” The confidence and the self-worth of these victims start to fall short, although some begin to find solutions to their problems. According to Paul Casciato, of Reuters. com, almost 9 out of 10 teenage girls said they feel pressured to be skinny by the fashion industry and media. A large contributing factor to this problem is that many people in the fashion world encourage the use of overly thin models in editorials and fashion shows.

For example, as Kathryn Shattuck, What’s On Today: [The Arts/Cultural Desk], mentions that Kelly Cutrone, world renowned fashion publicist, encourages, “Clothes look better on thin people. The fabric hangs better” (1). The fashion industry’s emphasis on being thin and its use of extremely underweight models in unacceptable. Many people would agree that the fashion industry plays the majority role in eating disorders, but Lisa Hilton, British Vogue writer, disagrees. Hilton argues, “Its objective is selling clothes, and the consensus remains that in order to achieve this, models need to be thin . . Fashion is about fantasy, about impossibility, about, dare we say it, art. Most women can’t tell the difference” (1). Hilton condescendingly continues to refute the criticisms that models are too thin and the fashion industry encourages eating disorders. More recently, Sports Illustrated model, Kate Upton whom is a size 4, is now considered a plus size model and deemed to be “too curvy”. In the United States the “normal” sized woman is between the size of 6 and 10. Most of us do not understand why some put themselves through so much anguish to satisfy these body image complexes.

Back in the 1950’s, models were absolutely glamorous, they were healthy and had meat on their bones. The average height of a model is 5’10” and weighs approximately 120 pounds whereas the average women with a height of 5’10” weigh about 145 pounds. This is a significant and disturbing difference. As Hooke emphasizes, “Sufferers are often presumed to pore over the pages of glossy magazines and starve themselves in their aspirations to become glamorous, thinner-than-thin sex goddesses,” she then concludes how the industry destroyed her life.

Women give in and fall into temptation, but why? These “normal” women are beautiful they way they are, but in fashion terms, they are considered morbidly obese in comparison. As Holly Brubach, New York Times Magazine journalist, argues, Models starve themselves the way football players take steroids, jeopardizing their health and longevity for celebrity and wealth. More surprising, perhaps, and certainly no less alarming, is it the realization that dieting as become so commonplace that the skeletons on the catwalk simply strike us as more expert than the rest of us (1). As Brucach further describes how the fashion industry and their models compel everyday women to give up meals, she also observes that the Internet provides sufferers starvation tips. Commonly called promote anorexia, or “pro anas”. There are many blogs and forums that pro anas flock to for tips. One teenage girl professed, “Splurged and had 7 grapes, I can’t believe it. I cannot eat tomorrow.

Please send skinny thoughts my way! ” Another pro ana, calls herself MelancholyMiss states in forum Lard Ass Rant Time, “Starting to feel that swimmy feeling in my head again . . . I’m trying to tell myself I need to eat a little something so I can have some energy. No, my hard work won’t go to waste. I’m spinning, spinning down into the depths of self loathing, misery, isolation. ” What these women go through on a day to day basis is just horrendous. It’s truly sickening. What drives these sufferers is beyond most.

Isabelle Caro, a French model and actress who became the international face of anorexia when she allowed her ravaged body to be photographed nude for an Italian advertising campaign to raise awareness about the disease. Italian fashion label, Nolita, had photographed Caro at 26 years old weighing only 59 pounds. When Caro was featured on an episode of Taboo on the National Geographic channel, she claimed that she tried getting help but in her line of work, it was not possible and that if she gained weight she would lose her job.

Neil Katz of CBS News, describes the billboard as, “[Her] face was emaciated, her arms and legs mere sticks, her teeth seemingly too large for her mouth” (2). In Katz’ article, Caro confirms, “I decided to do it to warn girls about the danger of diets and of fashion commandments” (1). In 2006, she reached the weight of 52 pounds. She sank into a coma and after months of extensive care she reached weight of 93 pounds. Although the major effort put into changing her life around, she was still remained in crucial health.

Her body could not handle the major back and forth transformation that her body failed and died. She died at only 28. In her memoir, The Little Girl Who Didn’t Want to Get Fat, her dying wish was to raise attention and eliminate anorexia and other eating disorders. There are numerous ways to change the fashion industry’s negative reputation. The Council of Fashion Designers of America has created the CDFA initiative, which is implementing certain designers and magazines to fix said problem.

The CFDA’s ideas include offering models that have been identified as having an eating disorder to seek professional help and not be able to work without a medical consent. Other ideal solutions include supplying healthy foods during photo shoots and shows; also educate models about eating disorders. Although, these solutions seem ideal, but won’t become obsolete. There must be harsher regulations where healthy women, of certain weight requirements, can become models. This industry must defend its reputation and end the horrible habit of girls starving themselves to look like unrealistic and photo-shopped