What Effects Do the Fashion Industry Have on Eating Disorders free essay sample

What effects do the fashion industry have on eating disorders? Picture the most beautiful teen model you have ever seen. Picture this someone as tall, super skinny, flawless skin and a very outgoing personality. Now picture Ella Jeffery. She is the exact opposite. Ella lacks confidence in everything she does. Maybe it is down to the fact that she is constantly tormented at school or because she is not exactly supermodel material as she suffers from both obesity and acne. As a result of the bullying Ella chooses to comfort eat. While she sits slouched down on the living room sofa browsing through a fashion magazine, she fantasises over the skinny models that are splattered over the of the glossy pages. Ella begins to sob and yet again she resorts to another packet of fatty, cheese and onion crisps. So what effects do the fashion industry have on eating disorders? When you think of a supermodel you automatically assume that the model is tall and ridiculously skinny in comparison to an average woman of the same height. We will write a custom essay sample on What Effects Do the Fashion Industry Have on Eating Disorders? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A normal woman within the height range of 5’10 to 5’11 should weigh between 142-150 pounds. A model of this height would however weigh between 120-124 pounds. No wonder thin models are constantly blamed for encouraging eating disorders. Becoming successful in the fashion industry is very unlikely. With a 98% rejection rate thousands of potential models are each year are turned down, not because of the model’s looks but their ability to grasp an audience. When agencies scout for models they look for a tall girl with a minimum height of 5’8. Secondly, they should effectively have a BMI of 18-19. The potential model must have a simple face which is not to glamourous as the designers do not want the audience’s attention to be on the models face but on the designer’s clothes. The models must have the ability to draw attention and bring across a quirky attitude while posing for the camera. The hips of a model should also measure between 86. 5-89cm anything above 90cm is said to be undesirable. These restrictions are so strict that it makes it almost impossible for anyone to be accepted into the judgemental world of fashion. Kate Moss, the famous model that has worked for many brands such as Calvin Klein , said â€Å"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. † While Chanel designer Karl Lagerfield is repeatedly in denial against claims that the industry encourages anorexia, he once said that it was â€Å"psychological problems cause a model to be underweight, not the pressure from the industry. † I understand Lagerfield’s point of view but I don’t think that he should be using vulnerable, underweight models with psychological problems to run in his show. Lagerfield was also interviewed for Focus magazine he claimed that, â€Å"Fat mummies sitting with their bag of crisps in front of the television, saying that models are ugly are jealous. † The Chanel designer also added that the world of fashion was all to do â€Å"with dreams and illusions, and no one wants to see round women. † I completely disagree with Karl Lagerfield’s point of view, woman should be comfortable in their own bodies and should not feel pressured by the industry to look like a stick insect. In my personal opinion i believe that the industry do promote eating disorders because of the choice of models that they use in both the media and on the runway. Former Victoria’s secret model, Kylie Bissuti discussed in recent interview the disadvantages of modelling, touching on an industry filled with pressure to achieve ‘perfection’ by losing weight, which, often enough, leads to debilitating eating disorders. The ex lingerie model explains that she felt as though her occupation was disrespecting God. â€Å"My faith is more important and I want to honour God† she said. I don’t feel like I am honouring him when I am half-naked. † â€Å"I thought all the attention, parties, runways would make me happy,† she reflected. â€Å"It was all empty and selfish, and really when it comes down to it the only thing that makes you happy fulfilment and love to others. † Kylie was obviously not happy with the way the pressure had been forced u pon her to dress half-naked and look stick thin. Fortunately, she was able to see that her illusion of a modelling job was inaccurate and in fact it is not aa glamourous a job that is made out to be in the media. Teenage girls are one of the main target markets for fashion magazine companies so if thin models are the main content of these magazines then it could be argued that the models are not exactly setting the best example for vulnerable teens. The Girl Scouts surveyed teenage girls in the United States , and found that 75% rate fashion as ‘very important’. As a teenager myself i can clarify that magazines such as Vogue do influence the ideals of a perfect body image. 9 out of 10 girls are said to feel pressured by the fashion industry and media to feel skinny. However, not everyone in the industry feels as though they should encourage the use of skinny models. For example, Madrid Fashion week was the first to ban under-weight models from the catwalk. Each model had to have a minimum Body Index Mass (BMI) of 18 for all models otherwise they were not able to walk in the show. If you BMI goes below the 16 point mark this is seen as starvation. I think this was a tremendous idea of behalf of Madrid Fashion week as models desperate to walk in the show will put on more weight so they are able to walk. This will also prevent the audience squirming at how thin the models are. This was an excellent idea and I think more catwalk planners should follow in the footsteps of Madrid Fashion week. A model’s ‘figure’ can be met naturally and safely by few people. Women can be forced to choose between their career and their health; working as a model it would seem you are somehow forbidden the right of a healthy workplace environment. The famous model Coca Rocha was warned by her agency , â€Å"you need to lose more weight. The look this year is anorexic. We don’t want to you to be anorexic, we just want you to look it. † At the time she weighed approximately 106 pounds. In any other job, a worker who developed a serious health condition would receive compensation where as a model would be fired. If it was a current affair that workers were developing the same health conditions, there would be an uproar, and the dangerous work conditions would be abolished. How come the fashion industry is an exception?