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
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
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,
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.
Out of touch with realityA model on the popular "Project Runway" TV series was criticized in August for being too heavy. While I don't know her weight, model Alexandra Donhoeffner looks and sounds thin to me: 5 feet 10 inches tall, dress size 4, and measurements 34-26-36.
Personally, I haven't been a size 4 since grade school, and I'm 3 inches shorter than Donhoeffner. They would think I was a real whale if I went on TV.
And there's the problem: Normal, healthy women and girls feeling unnatural. We seem to have lost touch with reality, especially in the last 50 years. Marilyn Monroe was considered a beauty in her day, but now would be considered hefty--this seems just plain wrong.
Playboy centerfold models have gotten dramatically thinner, according to a study in the British Medical Journal. In the 1950s, the centerfold models were already thinner than average, with BMIs less than 20. Now, the BMIs are in the high 17s. Remember, a normal BMI is 20 to 25.
I'm not a fan of Playboy, but I would welcome any movement toward normal-size women in Playboy and other magazines, and in advertising, films, TV and elsewhere.
While you and I can't save people from eating disorders, there are things we can do to reduce society's pressure for thinness.
Consider these options:
Call, write or e-mail companies that run advertisements featuring bony models--this means TV stations, magazines and the like. Contact clothing designers, too. Ask them to put normal-size people on the runways. Tell them you'll stop buying if they don't.
Praise companies and advertisers who show people of all sizes.
Compliment people for who they are, not how they look.
Don't tease about people's weight.
Encourage healthy eating, not dieting. Also encourage healthy physical activity.
Don't forbid certain foods.
Eating disorders can kill. People with anorexia literally can starve themselves to death. Severe dieting, bingeing and purging can cause the heart to stop and result in brain damage or a coma, which is what reportedly happened to Terry Schiavo, whose dramatic death made the news last year.
Anorexia and bulimia also can cause osteoporosis, infertility and many other problems. And compulsive overeating can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure and the like.
If you are worried about someone you know, approach them in private and gently tell them so. Give them information on contacting a health professional, such as a doctor, counselor or dietitian. It's likely they will need all three.
Online questionnaires that can be helpful are at ace-network .com/eat-dis/EATtest.htm and something-fishy.org/isf/ques tionnaire.php, but only a physician can diagnose a problem.
The National Eating Disorders Association is a good place to start: 800/931-2237 or nationaleatingdisorders.org.
JENNIFER MOTL is a registered dietitian. Formerly of Fredericksburg, she now lives in Wisconsin.
She welcomes reader questions via her Web site, brighteating.com, or mailed to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.