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'Walking skeletons' a model of sickness

Quest for thinness backfires

Date published: 10/1/2006

THE OLD SAYING that you can never be too thin is finally being attacked by the very industry that fed it: fashion designers.

In September, Spanish designers made headlines around the world (for example, "Fashion show boots 5 'walking skeletons'") after screening out models who were too skinny. They kicked out those who were over 5-foot-7 but weighed less than 121.5 pounds.

If you think scrawny Europeans have nothing to do with you, think again. Four out of 10 Americans either know or have known someone who has suffered from an eating disorder, according to a survey by the Global Marketing Institute.

While we can't blame eating disorders on the fashion industry alone, I believe fashion makes eating disorders worse by glorifying gaunt women.

The rates of eating disorders among American girls and women have skyrocketed. And millions of normal or overweight folks secretly struggle with constant diets and feelings of shame.

Nearly half of 9- to 11-year-old girls have dieted, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. Ironically, dieting can lead to being overweight. Girls who diet are 12 times more likely to be overweight. That's because diets can spark cycles of starvation followed by binge eating.

Eating disorders are more common in females than males, but men and boys do get them. On those fashion runways, we mostly think of skinny women.

During the recent fashion uproar, the Spaniards decided which bony models to boot by using a height-weight ratio called the body mass index. They wanted the models to have a minimum BMI of 18. That's already underweight. The normal BMI range is 20 to 25.

In Italy, the mayor of Milan subsequently vowed to screen models similarly to the Spaniards. The Scots are following suit for this year's Edinburgh Fashion Festival. And British fashionistas currently are debating the topic as well, to kick off London's Fashion Week.

Too bad the American industry hasn't caught up yet.

"The average American model is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 117 pounds," according to the National Eating Disorders Association.

The average woman is 5-4 and 140 pounds--about a size 12.

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Date published: 10/1/2006