The reality of Anorexia in modeling

Here's a link to the news story of a french model who suffered Anorexia and made a campaign of awareness during a fashion show in Milan.

http://fashionista.com …rexia-capaign-dead-at-28/

Sometimes I see shoots where the models are impossibly thin. What can't be taken off in flesh is often taken off in pixels. Is starvation a central theme in fashion?

Far more people die of heart disease because of being overweight than die from being too thin - in developed countries like France, etc. There is such a double standard and stigma placed on thin models while the world's population continues to become heavier and more obese as a whole.

Parents can get thrown in jail for having a child that is too thin, but nothing will be done if they are raising a 5 year old that is 70 pounds and is fed bacon, cheeseburgers, and pizza all day. Crazy.

Either extreme - morbid obesity or anorexia - is life threatening. Society values the thin over the fat these days, but it hasn't always been that way.

I've lost family members to both sides of that equation, and none of the losses were easier to accept than the others, thin or not.

Scarlettjax wrote in post #11538115
Either extreme - morbid obesity or anorexia - is life threatening. Society values the thin over the fat these days, but it hasn't always been that way.

I've lost family members to both sides of that equation

In Greek and Roman eras wealth allowed you to eat well and be fat, if that's what you're getting at. The health risks, heart disease and type II diabetes, are more known now than ever about being over weight with eating lots of sugar as well as salt.

That is the exception then. In my extended family, adults, there are probably 3 or 4 in the good/normal weight category with most being over weight and a couple even in the obese category. No one in my family is in the "under weight" category - like most of the developed population that does too much fast food and too much eating in general.

HappySnapper90 wrote in post #11538013
Far more people die of heart disease because of being overweight than die from being too thin - in developed countries like France, etc. There is such a double standard and stigma placed on thin models while the world's population continues to become heavier and more obese as a whole.

Parents can get thrown in jail for having a child that is too thin, but nothing will be done if they are raising a 5 year old that is 70 pounds and is fed bacon, cheeseburgers, and pizza all day. Crazy.

Both scenarios make me sad.

I first became aware of this issue after shooting a friend who starved herself for 3 days. She looked abnormally thin and as soon as the shoot was finished gorged herself on pasta. I told her she didn't have to do that but there is for sure some degree of competition for the thinnest look possible. I also had other models who were natural and they shot just as well and in fact looked quite normal and quite beautiful.

Sadly, this is a reality in the Fashion world. What a waste.

My sister is tall and thin (though she was a bit thinner and more in-shape during her college volleyball days), and everyone tells her she could be a model. However, she is too big to be a model - at a size 2! She would be considered a "plus size" model!

Overall, the world needs some help getting it's figure back, but the fashion industry takes it to extremes.

jetcode wrote in post #11537790
Here's a link to the news story of a french model who suffered Anorexia and made a campaign of awareness during a fashion show in Milan.

http://fashionista.com …rexia-capaign-dead-at-28/

Sometimes I see shoots where the models are impossibly thin. What can't be taken off in flesh is often taken off in pixels. Is starvation a central theme in fashion?

Society seems to set a lot of standards. Look at the curves that were the rage in the 50s and early 1960s.. Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Ann Margaret etc. I prefer a more full figured gal over a very thin almost young boy looking body. But thats me.

I have to second Airfrogs opinion. Women were meant to have curves!

eww

Not all women who become models develop anorexia. In fact, anorexia is a form of mental illness and I believe it's overly simplistic to say that women refuse to eat just so they can become models.

David

Woodworker wrote in post #11543524
Not all women who become models develop anorexia. In fact, anorexia is a form of mental illness and I believe it's overly simplistic to say that women refuse to eat just so they can become models.

David

Shame though that because its easier to design and dress a straight line than a curve all of society and models in general buy into it. And some that don't really have clue as to what most men really find attractive are driving the industry.

jetcode wrote in post #11537790
Sometimes I see shoots where the models are impossibly thin.

Guess you don't know too many runners, or cyclists?

jetcode wrote in post #11537790
Is starvation a central theme in fashion?

It's not anymore prevalent than among the athletic types I mentioned earlier.

You can't blame fashion for people who are a menace to themselves.
It's Darwinism, not fashion, that is the reason.

.

I have a hard time understanding this because at some point people around the model must decide it is no longer attractive and say something.

Many influential people in the industry must find the young boy look more attractive to the young girl look. This may be an unfair statement though.

A friend of mine had a daughter that became anorexic. She accused her parents of not having the self discipline to not overeat as she defined it (they were plump but not obese). My friend stopped eating and refused to buy smaller clothes. He started to look real bad with his clothes hanging off him. When he started to look like a stickman she started to eat again. It was lucky that someone close to her noticed and intervened. I am sure they did other things to help but her parents delt with her reasons/excuses very directly.

People in the industry (including photographers) need to take a stand and refuse to work with models who are just too thin and ill looking. How can you just ignore this because you need the work and someone else will do it?


edit - I do know one young lady who is very thin and she is a runner but she does not have that ill thin skin look. I don't know how you can confuse an ill person with a healthy but thin person. They look quite different from my observations.