The pressure to be thin?

Question

I've read on the news that just this year alone, there have been 4-5 cases of models starving themselves to death. The model industry made a statement saying that in no way are they responsible and they do not promote an unhealthy body image for girls everywhere. What's your view on this?

Answer 1

well looking through modeling history up until now i would have to disagree with the industry. Marylin Monroe was a size 10 and she was still the sex-goddess she was. I have a friend who's mother was a size 3 and modeled when she was 16, the modeling agencies had her wear at least three layers of clothing at each photo shoot, but now our models are size 2 and 0 and the industry is saying that they are still too large. At this point in time they are heavily pressuring the girls to be thin, and thus affecting every young girl who aspires to be "beautiful" (aka every girl in the world) they no longer promote the correct idea that every woman is made differently. Real women of America, it's time to take a stand!!!
God Bless!!

Answer 2

Well, while it's obviously BS to say that the model industry doesn't promote skinnyness (perhaps even to unhealthy levels), people do have free will, at least in theory. Therefore, it seems that the even bigger problem is that a model's (or anyone's) life could be so unfufilling that a single media suggestion is enough to drive her over the edge into what is basically suicide -- that she's not getting a balanced view in addition to the balanced plate she ought to be enjoying.

It's kind of bewildering knowing that so many people will say things like "the media forces women to be anorexic" because there's some truth in that statement, but it's not the whole story. What I want to know is, why do people care so much about what models are "supposed" to look like in the first place? Don't they realize that they can choose to defy that image and live a normal, healthy lifestyle instead of paying the enormous cost it takes to fufill it? Of course, I write this as someone who cares little about what others think, so it's hard to get into the head of someone who does...

Answer 3

First off, its not just models starving themselves. There are many girls out there that look at them and think they need to be just like them to get guys. The modeling industry does have some to do with it but a lot of it is the designers because they want them to show the clothes off well. Yes there are plus size and maternity models and they are not told to stay skinny. Its all an industry that runs on how people look.

Answer 4

yes the modeling industry (especially high fashion, not so much swim suit and underwaer models, example, victorias secret) have unhealthy skeletal looking women. it is sad. they are there to show off the clothes,not their bodies, they want people to kook at the clothing that is all what modeling is about, selling the product to the consumer and unfortunately high fashion modeling.

there have been changes though taking place. ove the summer at a fashion week in madrid models were evaluated by having their body mass indexes calculated. if they wee shown to be to thin and unhealthy they were not allowed to walk. naiomi cambell was one of them... they say the know models are giving young teens a bad influences of being stick thin.


models are not the only ones to blame though celebrities are also a bad influence on peopel of any age.

i hope change does take place for the future though....

i heard on the tyra banks show that the average woman in the U.S. is only 5'4" and is a size 14

where as the average model is 6' tall and only weights around 115lbs! yikes
if i ever wanted to become a modle i would definately choose underwear over anything else though!! lol=D

Answer 5

It's not the industy's fault. They have a clothing line to show and just market it the best way they know how. We live in a society that is based upon sexual appeal. More and more people quys included are forced into the shallow belief that beutiful is the only way to go. More people are getting plastic surgery than ever before. You can't go anywhere hardly without seeing an advertisement for some fat-burning pill, or listen to the radio without hearing about it. People just feel that society won't accept them unless they are thin and trim. Until people learn not to care what others think and to love themselves there will be more people starving themselves to death.

Answer 6

I think the models throw up because thats what everyone thinks you need to look like to become a beautiful model.But to be a beautiful model you need to have confidence.Models starve themselves because the pressure of being thin,just like u said.I thik it is a bad image for young girls,especially teenagers,because at teen age you are under the most pressure.I think its a bad image.But its pressure.

Answer 7

because everyone thinks the pefect person as to thin. Most models have to wiegh just about 105 and 5 "4 and teller and all that is stupied. I think you are pretty the way god for you. and god made you the way you are for a reason

Answer 8

Many of tehse girls are just overobsessed with their weight, or they think their too fat. The model industry doesnt have anyhting to do with it. I mean, sure, they do have a size limit but most just want teh girls modeling to be healthy looking.

Answer 9

I think its a shame that girls are being brain washed to think that they have to weigh or look a certain way to be accepted or liked by guys. I know a few girls with eating disorders and its really sad. One girl threw up soo much aftr eating shes used to it already she can't stop even if she wants to. Her bodys already used to eating and throwing it back up.It's a very sad situation.

Answer 10

society (mainly hollywood and the fashion industry) have to take responsibility for this for sure. girls are being raised to beleive that they must be thin to be popular and attractive and it is absolutely crazy.
i have known many girls to have eating dissorders and it is very sad to think it is a growing problem...do people not stop to think that these problems do not seem to exsist in countries that are not dominated with advertising at every corner?