Struggling to Stay Thin: The Controversy of Eating Disorders in the Modeling Industry

An important component of the world of fashion is having people to show off creations of designers. Models are often deemed as being goddess-like individuals who are able to achieve a certain body type way outside of what's maintainable by the average human being. However, while looked at as being a glamorous enterprise, the modeling industry has created an epidemic of eating disorders by promoting this unrealistic standard for weight and beauty. This epidemic is something that needs to be taken seriously and is representative of a huge problem with our society's standards of beauty.

Studies have shown that in the modeling industry, modeling scouts have asked 64.1% of models to lose weight in order to be considered for campaigns. In addition to that statistic, 31.2% of models have confessed to struggling with eating disorders. Now taking those statistics and looking at girls and women that aren't part of the industry, studies have shown that 70% of girls in 5th-12th grade say that advertisements in magazines have had some impact on the way that they view themselves and their bodies. These statistics are rather alarming and have begun to sound off alarms that there is a major issue with the way that the fashion industry is handing weight-loss and glamorizing having an unhealthily thin figure.

Many people argue that through showcasing these girls, who all struggle on a daily basis with eating disorders and being forced into being thin, the fashion industry is creating an unhealthy body image idea held by many people across the country. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 in 5 women struggle with or have struggled with some sort of an eating disorder, in addition to 10-15% of those affected by an eating disorder being males. These statistics are all alarming and I am one who agrees with the idea that the fashion industry may be at fault by promoting only unrealistic body types in ad campaigns and fashion show.

It is important to recognize the diversity and beauty to be found in people of all body types and this is something that the fashion industry needs to be striving towards in order to address this issue head on. The French are beginning to try to curve this issue by banning models who are a size zero from walking in Paris Fashion Week, specifically for some of the major brands represented such as Gucci, Yves St. Laurent, and Louis Vuitton. Doing something like this to combat the issue of eating disorders in the modelling industry is a step in the right direction for sure, but the importance of incorporating diversity into fashion shows and ad campaigns is something that needs to continue being addressed. In the future, I hope to see modeling agencies begin to accept models of all ethnicities and body types so that the fashion industry can begin to promote the idea of uniqueness and beauty in people of all kinds.

Works Cited:

• https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/13/fashion-eating-disorders-industry-responsibility_n_955497.html

• https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/18/model-scouts-sweden-eating-disorder-clinic_n_3110678.html

• https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/news/size-zero-models-banned-at-paris-fashion-week-w501466/