Did you all hear that yet another model died from anorexia a couple weeks ago?
Now, not that I don’t feel remorse for this situation, but it’s just interesting to me because common people die from anorexia every day, but it’s a big deal when a model does. Then people start ranting and raving about how terrible the fashion and modeling industry is and how since they put so much pressure to be thin, there’s some big epidemic of modeling related deaths from this disorder. Well, there’s not. People from all different professions develop eating disorders, and for all different kinds of reasons. The vast majority of people with eating disorders aren’t models, and the vast majority of models don’t have eating disorders, so what is with the pointing fingers? Why do people single out just the models?
Oh and did you notice in the article it says that agent Adi Barkan refuses to use models with a BMI of less than 19 now? It used to be 18. So even models with a BMI of, let’s say, 18.7, even though considered ‘normal’ by BMI calculations is still too thin to be a working model! What the hell? Ugh, people!
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January 28, 2008 at 9:17 am
anon
No one will ever know the actual percentage of models with eating disorders. I think it’s insane to say that models and actresses don’t have a higher chance of developing an eating disorder due to their profession. Any female who is under such physical scrutiny is going to have a higher chance of developing an ED, whether she’s an actress, model, dancer, etc.
January 29, 2008 at 11:58 am
skinnyminny
There have been studies done, but none that shows direct correlation between modeling and eating disorders. I wouldn’t say that people in these professional necessarily undergo ‘physical scrutiny.’ I mean, I’m sure some are, but you can’t really say that’s how it is for everyone. The way I’ve been seeing it, models, actresses, dancers, etc are of course encouraged to keep a healthy, fit body…to eat right and work out. There are definitely some of them that let things get to them a bit too much and they develop and eating disorder, but I think that could just as often happen to your average high school student.
February 20, 2008 at 7:35 am
Emmy
Of course models undergo “physical scrutiny”. That’s what the job is all about, their physical appearance. If having to maintain a certain physical appearance in order to keep your job isn’t scrutiny, I don’t know what is.
February 20, 2008 at 7:00 pm
skinnyminny
Well yeah, you have to have a certain look to model, but it’s not like agencies are going to have models stand in front of them while they criticize every inch of their body with a laser pointer. You have to have a certain look for a lot of jobs, not just modeling.
May 4, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Freya
I thought this would be utterly obvious.
Models are supposed to represent the “ideal” image. No one cares about anorexic accountants or police officers because their jobs don’t involve having the “perfect body”. Models do. That’s why they’re not supposed to be anorexic. It sends out the message that starving to death is totally the look people have to go for.
May 8, 2008 at 2:38 am
yoganut
I think there is a lot of pressure being put on the modeling industry to have women who look like “real women.” And I think this rising BMI trend will likely continue.
Also people talk about this “physical scrutiny” but most people who get into modeling, acting (sexy roles), dancing (except maybe bellydancing) already had that body type to begin with. It may suck and be unfair but if someone starts in one of these areas too heavy, someone’s going to say something, usually very early on. And normally its before very much is invested in the career.
By the time someone is truly invested in one of these careers most of them have a long track record of having this body type anyway. So I don’t get this “zomg pressure” I was thin in high school and took ballet. I was under zero pressure. If I had danced professionally I would have been under a lot of pressure but not because of my weight because it didn’t take effort to maintain it. A lot of these people just naturally have these body types. It might be freakish and impossible for “normal people” but they aren’t those people.
July 31, 2008 at 7:25 am
Emmy
Eh, I danced myself and I can tell you that not everyone who pursues careers like dancing have that body type naturally. That’s the problem, when you don’t have that body type naturally but want to pursue that type of career you really make the effort to acheive the neccesary body type even if you weren’t meant for it physically and have to make certain sacrifices to acheive it. Hence the reason careers like modeling and dancing have a higher rate of eating disorders. “Normal” people still want to be dancers or actresses or models, it’s really no coincidence that those that succeed in those careers have a certain body type.