I copy/pasted an article that I found interesting. I'm curious to know what others think about this:
MADRID. (Reuters) - The world's first ban on overly thin models at a top-level fashion show in Madrid has caused outrage among modeling agencies and raised the prospect of restrictions at other catwalk pageants.
Madrid's fashion week has turned away underweight models after protests that young girls and women were trying to copy their rail-thin looks and developing eating disorders.
Organizers say they want to project an image of beauty and health, rather than a waif-like, or heroin chic look.
But Cathy Gould, of New York's Elite modeling agency, said the fashion industry was being used as a scapegoat for illnesses like anorexia and bulimia.
"I think its outrageous, I understand they want to set this tone of healthy beautiful women, but what about discrimination against the model and what about the freedom of the designer," said Gould, Elite's North America director, adding that the move could harm careers of naturally "gazelle-like" models.
Madrid's regional government, which sponsors the show and imposed restrictions, said it did not blame designers and models for anorexia. It said the fashion industry had a responsibility to portray healthy body images.
"Fashion is a mirror and many teenagers imitate what they see on the catwalk," said regional official Concha Guerra.
The mayor of Milan, Italy, Letizia Moratti told an Italian newspaper this week she would seek a similar ban for her city's show unless it could find a solution to "sick" looking models.
QUALITY, NOT SIZE
The Madrid show is using the body mass index or BMI -- based on weight and height -- to measure models. It has turned away 30 percent of women who took part in the previous event. Medics will be on hand at the September 18-22 show to check models.
Under the Madrid ruling, models must have a BMI rating of around 18. That would disqualify top Spanish model Esther Canadas, and supermodels like Kate Moss, based on unofficial records of their height and weight.
"The restrictions could be quite a shock to the fashion world at the beginning, but I'm sure it's important as far as health is concerned," said Leonor Perez Pita, director of Madrid's show, also known as the Pasarela Cibeles.
When asked if they supported controls, seven Spanish designers showing at Madrid either declined to comment or said they did not want to become involved in the controversy. Designers in Milan gave a similar response.
A spokeswoman for the Association of Fashion Designers of Spain, which represents those at Madrid fashion week, said the group supported restrictions and its concern was the quality of collections, not the size of models.
Eating disorder activists said many Spanish model agencies and designers oppose the ban and they had doubts whether the new rules would be followed.
"If they don't go along with it the next step is to seek legislation, just like with tobacco," said Carmen Gonzalez of Spain's Association in Defense of Attention for Anorexia and Bulimia, which has campaigned for restrictions since the 1990s.
Elite's Gould said fashion was not to blame for eating disorders that usually started at home due to poor eating habits and constant dieting by mothers.
So far, Madrid's move has yet to spark a worldwide trend toward catwalk shows with curvier figures.
London Fashion Week said in a statement it would not put restrictions on what type of models its designers use.
I wish they would do this everywhere. We need models to look real not something unatainable. I have 3 daughters and 1 son my daughters (8&9) are already asking if this is how they should look.
I don't have a problem with thin people, but really, some of those models are emaciated. So sad. I'm glad someone somewhere has the good sense to say we need to look at this and set some limits.
Girls need to know that they don't have to slowly kill themselves to be beautiful.
I agree being a mother to six daughters, and grand daughters, I've seen pefectly beautiful women go on coffee diets that honestly didn't need to. What a difference how grammer school children think compare to when I was in school, then my own daughters, now the next generation of kids! Not all but a huge portion of these kids are obsessed with their looks when they should enjoy being kids, since childhood and innocense doesn't last that long to begin with! So I say good!
I don't think it will solve the problem with our young people, we would have to ban all skinny movie stars, singers etc, kids are always going to look up to some one is is different than the normal. Look at music videos geesh modeling is just the tip of the iceberg.
Most of those models are airbrushed. They just need to know that they really dont look at that. I think they all should have a healthy weight whatever that is for them.
I don't think it will solve the problem with our young people, we would have to ban all skinny movie stars, singers etc, kids are always going to look up to some one is is different than the normal. Look at music videos geesh modeling is just the tip of the iceberg.
Yeah, I agree that this problem goes beyond modeling (although modeling is really where it peaks!). But I think it's a start. To really get rid of this problem we (as a culture) need to get rid of the skinny=beautiful mentality. It's a very neurotic and destructive way of thinking.
And I'd like to think people are getting healthier about it, but sometimes I'm not sure. Remember when Shape mag or Fitness mag had more normal looking models wearing work out clothes?(I'm not kidding myself though, they were still models!) Now they have skinny models wearing bikinis- and striking poses that I would find more appropriate on Maxim or other booty mags! I'd like to get mad at the magazine's executive, but they're probably just responding to the demands of the public (focus groups and such..). Sigh.
At least forums like this can help- changing people's views one at a time
It seems that the media is either talking about how obesity is spreading (pun intended) and our kids are getting fatter and fatter due to fast food and no exercise OR how skinny some celebrity is and how it could affect young girls. I believe if the media didn't report on how skinny models and movie stars are, young girls wouldn't want to be so much like them. You can't preach about the benefits of losing weight and then look down at people who seem a little too thin to you.
I really don't think you can legislate something like this, but it would be nice to see fashionable clothes designed for healthy, normal women rather than broomsticks with boobs.
This line struck me as hilarious:
Quote:
naturally "gazelle-like" models
They may have long legs, but that's about the only thing that's natural. If they are over the age of 15, they are starving and/or on drugs to achieve the look. And logging LOTS of gym time.
I dont understand how the fashion designers stay in business who buys these clothes I see alot of people daily and I have to say I might see one a month that could fit into them but not afford them. The thing thats sad is that men like curves, subconciously men want a woman that can reproduce and those rail thin girls with so little body fat stop having there periods. Dove commercials are trying to put real women in their commercials I hope this will be the new trend before my it effects my daughters. My 11 year old is saying her belly is getting to big but shes the thinnest one in her class. I was super thin till I hit 14 then was just normal but if normal to her is size 0, I dont want her thinking she needs to go on a diet.
I really don't think you can legislate something like this, but it would be nice to see fashionable clothes designed for healthy, normal women rather than broomsticks with boobs.
heh, since when do those broomstick models have boobs? Most of the ones I see have SO little fat that they also look like 11-year old girls up top
I think it's a good thing. No, of course it won't solve the problem, but at least it is a step in the right direction.
The agency saying it's "discrimination against the [insanely-skinny] model" makes me laugh--don't they "discriminate" against fat models (and of course, you need only be above a size 4 to be "fat" for a model) every single day?
Implants- you're right, jill, at those body fat levels, women naturally have very little in the boob department. That's why I said there is very little that is natural.
lookergirl76 Well, the sad thing here in Spain is that designers know that people is going to try to loss weight to fit in their small clothes. Sad but true. I've read in the forum that in USA there is something called Vanity sizing, that means that they're making bigger sizes so a girl who used a size 12 now can use a size 9 or something like that. Here is just the opposite. I can use a 38 (12 size) in one shop, a 40 or 42 in another and I can hardly find clothes of my size in some "teenager's shops". I'm not frustated because I know its not my fault that they try to force us to be skinny, but is a great problem with girls in their 15s that don't have things so clear. This is one of the reasons the goverment of Madrid has "forbidden" Cibeles to use unhealthy models (under 18 of BMI). Some famous models had declined go to Cibeles because they don't want the world to know their real weight. They have no shame.
The agency saying it's "discrimination against the [insanely-skinny] model" makes me laugh--don't they "discriminate" against fat models (and of course, you need only be above a size 4 to be "fat" for a model) every single day?
Good point, Jill! They could at least include an occasional overweight model. I can't believe the rebuttals from the fashion industry. Ugh!
I once read that designers like thin women because the clothes hang on them more like they do on hangers. Oh great, so our designers are making clothing designed for hangers instead of women?
While regulation isn't always the answer, regulating emaciation on the catwalk is one very symbolic step of many that need to be taken to address this problem. It takes quite a bit to change a culture's moral code.
I am glad they are banning them! Its not normal!
I really think a women is MORE beautiful when she has a little weight on her. When she is like a young kate moss she just looks sick.
Ban on Skinny Models
So sad. I'm glad someone somewhere has the good sense to say we need to look at this and set some limits. 
I'd like to get mad at the magazine's executive, but they're probably just responding to the demands of the public (focus groups and such..). Sigh.
Most of the ones I see have SO little fat that they also look like 11-year old girls up top 
