Skinny Models Banned

I am cringing from just looking at that picture. I think some 3-year olds have thicker arms than that model.

Do they ban 'fat' models? Just curious.

I think they do not ban "fat" models. They just do not give them a job.

Wow, I also blogged about this today.
If a person as a 18 to 25 bmi they aren't a "fat' model. The too thin models is a trend that is way out dated. The disginers wanted models to look like coat hangers.
You can also look really really thin with a BMI of 18.

'fat' models might as well have been banned for years, as Ifitandhealthy said, they just don't get the jobs, and I don't think it would be right to parade obese women as 'the norm' anymore than underweight ones, the emphasis should be on what is healthiest. I know a few women who have modelled in the past, and they were under constant pressure from their agents (who in turn were under pressure from clients) not to gain weight. In a lot of cases it is written into contracts that a model must maintain a certain weight.

I say, bravo for Spain, it's about time the living dead were removed from the spotlight, where impressionable young girls see them and think it is normal, even desirable, to look emaciated. Now, before anyone reading this gets offended and says that some people are just naturally thin, yeah, I am well aware of that fact, just as some are naturally a bit bigger, but I seriously doubt that many people are naturally as thin as the women in the photo above. She looks like a lollipop, a big head on a stick of a body, if she was naturally that thin her head would match the rest of her and she wouldn't look so ill.

Perhaps to make things fairer for all models, they could choose them on the basis of health alone, kind of like at dog and cat shows. They could base it on things like shiny hair, sparkling eyes and good skin, all factors which reflect inner health, as well as blood tests for things like iron deficiencies.

Actually, on reflection, she looks a lot like one of those aliens you see in sci-fi movies.

Well, I live in Japan, which is still pre-obesity crisis, and there are normal, healthy people who look like that, naturally. Body diversity goes both ways. This is verging on reverse discrimination.

When you can see overly prominent collar bones and ribs, there may be cause for worry. The woman in the photograph that accompanies this post looks fine to me.

"When you can see overly prominent collar bones and ribs, there may be cause for worry. The woman in the photograph that accompanies this post looks fine to me."

Indeed she is not as lean as she could be. Don't get me wrong; she probably weighs next to nothing. However, this is due to a lack of muscle mass. She still has a thin covering of fat over her tiny muscles. If she were truly lean, she would look even thinner and have the definition of a female bodybuilder. Losing any more volume though would make her look like a skeleton.

She doesn't look "fine" to me though; I like women with great musculature, particularly all those neat little muscles in the upper back. Good definition on the shoulders is nice too. Also, her tiny body creates the illusion of a big head (the "alien" look Caramelle-oh is referring to).

This is a very smart move on there part. The youth today are looking at models and believe that is healthy. Many of the youth do insane diets and very unhealthy methods of losing weight that in the long run will hurt them.

FINALLY they do something about these deathly looking models! Teenagers turn to fashion for a way to be unique and if they turn and see these models who are extremely underweight, all they will want to do is lose tons of weight and where the same clothes as they see! I hope the rest of the world sees this as a wake up call and stop underweight models from modeling.

Most of the runway models are very tall...at 6' a BMI of 18 is just 133-pounds. That's still very thin for someone that tall.

Hopefully it's the first step towards repairing the disformed body image in the media that young girls are growing up with. Someone needs to set the standard somewhere. BRAVO for Madrid.

I agree that impressionable individuals of any age should be discouraged as strongly as possible to even think that having an unhealthy BMI is in any way attractive, appealing or desirable. These ridiculous stick insect models have been around too long and are definitively responsible for a good percentage of eating disorders.

I don't think a ban on this is necessary. No ban or set of bans can replace good parenting. There have always been bad influences in any large enough society. When we see our youth taking a turn for the worst, why do we not look at parents? It's true that we have been seeing more things that are potentially damaging to our kids, but we've also been seeing a decline in how much time parents spend talking to their kids.

I truly hope that the US follows suit.

The problem is with the whole concept of BMI. It's a height/weight ratio that takes nothing else into account. Lots of models are very tall and their weight is well-distributed and if they don't work out, they are probably (as Ryan pointed out) "skinny-fat". I look thinner than a lot of those models and I'm heavier than a lot of them. (btw Ryan, I have lots of back muscles...nothing like a strong set of lats to make your body look very balanced). I really wish clothing companies would use average-height women to model clothes so you could see proportionately what would look good on normal people. Case in point: Capri pants. I see them on models and think "those are cute!" Then I put them on and they make me look so stumpy it's not even funny. If I saw a shorter, muscular woman wearing a certain pair of jeans that made her look fabulous, I'd go buy those jeans ASAP. I think Spain is taking a step in the right direction.

I really wish clothing companies would use average-height women to model clothes so you could see proportionately what would look good on normal people. Case in point: Capri pants. I see them on models and think "those are cute!" Then I put them on and they make me look so stumpy it's not even funny.

Gosh that sucks....but what would happen to those of us who are 6' tall and get to see what clothes look like on us?

I agree with Spectra.

I am 5'3" (well, nearly), and my weight varies from 104-107. At 104 I have a BMI of 18.4 and am in no way too skinny. I still have a bit of stomach pudge and I would never let my thighs walk down the runway.

I think that using a specific BMI number is unfair. With the number based on height and weight alone, some models who fall below that number, may not look as emaciated as some with different body types.

For example, consider two women of identical heights and weights. A woman with a medium frame may look too skinny while a smaller framed woman would not.

They should go on, "Does this model look like she has eaten in the past 2 weeks?" instead of BMIs.

Boo to the people who want to bash the models themselves. Their unique bodies and beauty should be celebrated just like your unique body and beauty should be celebrated.

Jessie--you are almost my size exactly. I, too, do not look too thin even though my BMI is low. If I were tall and weighed more to keep my BMI the same, I'd probably look a lot thinner. In order to look like those models, I'd have to weigh 80 lbs or something. Gross!

And to Regina: I don't think they should get rid of tall models, just add shorter women too. So we get a better perspective of everyone's body.

And to Regina: I don't think they should get rid of tall models, just add shorter women too. So we get a better perspective of everyone's body.

I think that's a good idea too!

It's exciting to see that a major fashion show is finally setting some boundaries in a couture world that is out of control when it comes to thinness. I also applaud Spain's attention to the fact that they realize these shows have a significant influence on younger people and how it will affect their growing sense of self. Milan Italy is now hinting that they too will enforce using models who don't look gaunt and emaciated.

purlees! at least keep it at 17 ! i hv a BMI of 17 and i eat alot. I just stay that way and trust me no one has ever commented that i was skinny not even a lil thin!

I agree with the last couple of posts that BMI is not really accurate... I have a BMI of 25 and appear "thin" though by no means skinny, I have large bones and am muscular. The guy who made the comment about the people in Japan.. well in general Asians have smaller body frames and can be just as small with a lot more fat.. the woman in the photo looks absolutely disgusting, I can't believe anybody finds that attractive, she looks like she came out of a concentration camp, hardly a "unique body type to be celebrated". I think it would have been a step in the right direction if the people putting the fashion show together chose more healthy models but it's kind of creepy the government got involved!

Anyone else think that model's weight's are not the government's buisness?

I was excited to see that happening!! I hope it spreads around to all the other countries. We have to stop this exaggerated skinny culture....

Frigging Nanny State solves our all problems. The industry, if those-who-think-they-know-better-what-is-best-for-you-and-I will not hire a model that does not make the clothes look good.

What next, a BMI for television presenters?

Socialism, solution to everything. For the socialists who think they know what is best for me: get out of my life, and stay out of it.

I'm 5 11 and I used to walk the runway when I was 20-23. I weighed like 115-120 then. I was Way Too thin for normal life, but looked "great" in the fashion world. I ate very little, drank lots of coffee, smoked all the time, drank alcohol for dinner. I quit after a couple years. I couldn't subject myself to the constant scrutiny of my body. Who the heck cares so much about my hip size?? Its f-ed up! I was like--I have only one life, I'm not going to spend it worrying about the bagel I had for breakfast.
anyway, too bad for the models. they aren't that intelligent many of them. Still, I wish more girls would rebel and say F this! but they're all so beaten down.
being a model is not as glamorous as it seems. its fun for a while but its kind of like a disease--

I think the resturant industry is behind this ban to get more people to eat out.

Ryan, No matter how good your parenting skills are, you can't stop a 15 year old girl from looking at fashion magazines. If you ban them at home, she will look at them at school, or at her friend's house. Some of the best parents I know have had to deal with the pain of having a daughter with a severe eating disorder. I don't know if using a BMI is the right way to control the image of women beging produced by the fashion industry, but I am glad that something is beginning to be done. I agree that some people are naturally very thin, and they have every right to be celebrated, but the majority of runway models are not naturally that size. Let's celebrate health, not illness.

"Ryan, No matter how good your parenting skills are, you can't stop a 15 year old girl from looking at fashion magazines. If you ban them at home, she will look at them at school, or at her friend's house."

That's not the point; of course they're going to look at them. In fact, you want your child to see it, and you want your child to pity the models in them, for they are the victims of a superficial culture. Is it so hard to create children that value substance and not appearance? To teach them that honor, discipline, and integrity are far more important that anything on the outside?

I was taught that only the weak/stupid actually pay attention to models, and that only those people worry about cosmetic appearance. "Just don't look unkempt. Your personality should take care of the rest." To this day, I tell my fiancee not to wear any makeup whatsoever, because anything she puts on is a lie.

I guess there is a gender difference though, so I'll mention my sister. My sister is athletic and at a healthy body fat percentage, but definitely could lose 10 pounds of fat without danger. She's never gone on a diet to become skinnier though. To quote her when I discussed BFFM with her: "Eh, I don't need it; I'm thin enough."

Why, oh why does anybody pay attention to models anyway?

katy: I think it's because we live in a society where there are plenty of people out there trying to show you how to lose weight, get rid of cellulite, build bigger arms, etc; but very few trying to show you how to not get angry at the guy who takes a few seconds when the traffic light turns green, how to give up your seat on the bus for an elder, or how to get along with your in-laws. Appearance has become superior to personality.

Why do people think that this is beautiful? The model above...her face is ugly, her cheeks all sunken in. She has no boobs, no butt. Her ribs are sunken in. This is not attractive, why would anyone in their right minds want to look like this? Just because they fit into clothes that no one will wear anyway, just worn because people want to walk down a runway? No one remembers your name, they just see the clothes on you. why don't people appreciate curves anymore? There are plenty of obese people, just like there are many models on the verge of starvation. is there no healthy medium anymore?

To all
I am very much against the ban on skinny models. I think all models should be included in the industry. Some of us enjoy super-skinny models and some of us enjoy average models and some of us enjoy heavy or even over-weight models. It's not a matter of what's right or wrong. It's a matter of nature and what the individual person wishes to see. There is no skinny/fat/average switch we can turn on or off to enable us to 'like' or 'dislike' any one particular area here. It's simply what each individual likes. I personally do not want to see any model starve herself or overeat on purpose to achieve any goal. I would perfer if a model is skinny to be that way naturally and not artificially. A 'healthy medium' is not necessary. It's about what's in the nature of one's body that is best. And yes I do like skinny models and always have. No guilt here because it has always been natural to me. I do agree however, that no model should starve herself to become skinny. Just don't BAN anyone because they are what they are. It's crazy!
Rick

@rick

"I would perfer if a model is skinny to be that way naturally and not artificially."

Are you serious? How many high-fashion models do you honestly believe are free of eating issues? Very few I would say.

I think keep them on the catwalk they work as thinspiration

Ryan:

I know. I agree with you.

However: Models are just there to promote clothing or a new make-up-item or whatever, so that people buy that stuff.
Models are not there to promote a body type.

(I sometimes have the feeling that a woman WITHOUT fake nails, without make-up, without expensive clothing, without fake/dyed hair is not considered a woman anymore. That is crazy. Nearly all women these days seem to need all this stuff [and spend a lot of money on it] to feel somehow "adequate". That is even crazier.)

Wow, It's about time they started doing something about these "too thin" of models. I'm 6'1 1/2'(yes I know very tall for a girl) but I've always felt as if I was "overweight" just because of the models you see on tv that are tall and weigh about 115lbs. But see, I'm not overweight, I'm just normal and look normal for my height. It's rediculous to think that someone whos 6' can have a size 0 pants. I believe changing this will be a lot better for the media and everything. I just think it's better that they are starting to see the reality of people being different heights and different weights. I mean, look at that picture, not to be mean or anything, it just makes me feel sick.

psht.... i diet by eating under 100 calories a day or nothing at all, water, 100 crunches a day and 30 min on the eliptical machine a day so yeah i am kind of anorexic, i hardly eat but i dont see a problem with it