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Pressure mounts for 'ban' on zero size models
Last updated at 08:52am on 16.09.06
Skinny supermodel Lily Cole faces a possible ban from the catwalk.
Teetering along on their stick-thin legs, they look like they haven't had a square meal in years.
But today's breed of size-zero supermodels might be advised to develop a taste for pie and chips as pressure grows to ban too-skinny girls from the catwalk.
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A few days ago in Madrid, it was announced that only healthy-looking mannequins would be permitted to strut their stuff at the city's annual style event. Anyone with a body mass index of less than 18 was banned.
Now organisers of London Fashion Week, which begins on Monday, are being urged to impose similar rules.
That would leave in-demand models such as Lily Cole, Erin O'Connor, Alek Wek and Eva Herzigova kicking their heels.
But health agencies are adamant that legal steps must be taken to protect the health of the catwalk queens.
Steve Bloomfield, a spokesman for the Eating Disorders Association, said: "We do think legislation is needed.
"This is about protecting the young women and men who work in the fashion industry, as well as those who are at risk of an eating disorder and can be influenced by the pictures that they see.
"The fashion industry is there to make money and there is no legislation to protect models. It basically exploits people who are underweight and forces others to follow suit."
The Madrid initiative followed the death of 22-year-old Luisel Ramos during a fashion show in Uruguay last month. The emaciated model died of a heart attack moments after stepping off the catwalk - a result of having eaten nothing but green leaves, washed down with Diet Coke, for three months.
To put the Madrid limits into context, a BMI of 18.5 or below is classed as underweight by the World Health Organisation.
A model who is 5ft 9in would have to weigh a minimum 8st 12lb to be classed as healthy.
At present, the average 5ft 9in catwalk model weighs a mere 7st 12lb - a BMI of only 16.
'A lot to be said for beautiful curves'
And Spain's best-known model Esther Canadas, with an estimated BMI of only 14, failed to qualify for the show by a wide margin.
The world's fashion capital, Milan, is proposing to impose similar rules with the city's mayor, Letizia Moratti, confirming as much this week.
Sarah Watkinson, managing director of the outsize modelling agency 12 Plus UK, agrees that legislation is needed to protect the health of models - and those aspiring to emulate their favourite catwalk stars.
"I definitely encourage any formal move made to promote the use of curvy, healthy-looking women on the catwalks," she said.
"One of the biggest problems is that some designers especially like to use incredibly thin girls to wear their clothes because they like the shock aspect. These days more and more very skinny, size zero models are being used.
"It would be far better to have women of a realistic size and weight on the catwalk who look healthy and purport to a healthy body image. It is vital for schoolgirls who might aspire to look like these models to have a range of size 10, 12 and 14 women to look towards, instead of comparing themselves with women who look starved.
"There is a lot to be said for beautiful curves."
The Storm agency, which discovered Kate Moss, begged to differ. A spokesman dismissed the planned rules as "useless" while claiming that the company would not use "someone who was really underweight or too thin."
A spokesman for designer Allegra Hicks said: "We would never dream of using models under a British size 10.
"A ban on the size zero model should be compulsory across the fashion industry. Size zero is not feminine and not healthy."
Asda uses Coleen McLoughlin - a size 12 with a BMI of over 20 - as the face of its George clothing range. A spokesman said: "The reason we use Coleen is that she is real. Customers are aspirational but they want to be able to identify with our models. Banning size zero models is the way forward."
A spokesman for the fashion house Biba said: "It is beyond my comprehension that we would want to show girls on the catwalk who have the BMI of a ten-year-old.
"I agree with what they have done in Spain and think it should be emulated here. We use a lot of young models but certainly not a size zero."
Reader views (22)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
I wholeheartedly support this ban.The hype surrounding this emaciated size zero is disappointing at best and disturbing at worst!The fashion industry is a powerful,influential force in portraying what is 'beautiful',and unfortunately they have given the wrong impression.Two years ago,I weighed 82kg at 5'10" at age 16.I was too obese and as a boy,I was ashamed to see my muscular age mates!I 'die'ted and worked out to get a 6 pack.I ended up 60kg with a small pouch.Since last year,I followed a healthier approach and although I am 77kg,I am reasonably lean.I am on my way to a 'healthy' 6 pack.One must eat healthy and live healthy!
Thank you!
- Hrishi, India
i disagree with with all the modelling stuff
x
- yazmin, england kent
Why do people think it is ok to be size zero and it isn't a good example to young ladies such as myself we think it is ok to be a size zero look and is causing people to become anorexic! ban size zero and let sizes 8+ be the next size zero.
- Charlotte, England
I agree that you should have to look healthy and be healthy in order to pursue a modelling carear. But what about thoses thin models who do eat healthily and still have a BMI under 18. This can happen. I have a BMI of 16 which is classifies as underweight, however I eat 3 meals a day in which 1-2 pf them include very fattening foods, how do you explain this. Does that mean I could never do modelling just because of my BMI, and not that I lead a very healthy lifestyle?
- Racheal, Caerphilly
There are more important things happening in the world then how skinny Kate Moss is. Who cares? There is too much pressure on how people should look. Notice that none of these 'celebrities' look happy with life.
- Verity, England, Hampshire
I am a doctor, and it is not extremely healthy to be under BMI 18, but it isn't an illness either. At least, much less so than a BMI of 35-40 or more, as so many of my patients have.
Something like this should never be regulated, legislated or otherwise controlled in any centralized way. These women are adults, they know what they are doing. If their choice is that for the fame or money or whatever, they want to be ultra-skinny, it should be their right.
I am concerned about the trend of cookie-cutter type society, where everybody must meet a certain "standard", even about things like how skinny somebody. It shouldn't be anybody's business how skinny somebody is, as long as the person is an adult with normal ability to decide things for herself.
It seems that Europe not only united in economic and financial issues, but it appears that there is a certain trend to push common morality, common culture, common expectations, common standards, and apparently common weight. By trying to legislate all of the above (and likely more). Benevolent as some may think it would be, these are still early signs of certain non-traditional dictatorial intentions.
- Gabor, Wise, VA, USA
Even if no criminal prosecutions can be brought against model agencies and their clients the agencies and clients have a duty of care to their models and are required by law to make risk assessments of both work places and procedures. The agencies and clients may not wish to ask some of their models to eat a balanced healthy diet (because they like the coathanger effect that starvations produces) but their insurers will certainly ask them to take steps to minimise the risk to the lives. health and welfare of the models they hire. If dropping dead from heart failure is a reasonably forseeable consequence of malnourishment then the agencies and their clients are presently open to multi-million pound litigation for their delictual actions and non actions.
- Stuart Swanston, Edinburgh, Scotland
I don't understand the fuss. We could use a couple thinner girls in fashion nowadays. Thin to win!
- Joe Lewton, Morton, PA
Is this really a problem? I thought obesity was our current health problem?
- E Childress, Sugar Land, TX
I am a size zero. I'm a middle-aged woman. I weigh exactly what I weighed when I graduated high school. Back in 1969 I was a size 8. When I shop today, and have to look at size zero, I am insulted. I feel as if I am not there. Size 8 is now today's size 12 or 14. Young women are being brainwashed by numbers and the fashion industry is to blame.
- Kate, USA
Really, in news reports, all you hear is obesity the industrialized world over is on the upswing. Why not encourage, or motivate, people to look a little better? I'm not advocating eating disorders, but outlawing those who are exceptionally skinny from doing a job seems discriminatory at best. Are we going to have an overweight ban as well? People with a BMI that is too high are not allowed - afterall, cardiovascular disease is the greatest killer in the US; mostly brought on from being overweight.
- Justin, USA
It's unfortunate that we ask others to portray our own insecurities. I support the recent decisions to BAN models, I'm surprised more designers aren't breaking away from the norm (I guess they enjoy the generic Gazelle look).
- Sean, Toronto, Canada
Today's emaciated, cadaverous runway models and hollywood stars are frightening. It's about time someone came to their senses and decided that a focus on health and sanity is a better approach. I applaud the Spanish fashion industry.
- Jean, U.S.
Responsibility is the keyword! We are responsible for our own actions and for our children. Parents have the ultimate say on how their children are raised and influenced. With the proper investment of time and knowledge all children can be taught to lead healthy lives. Ignore the fashion industry it is just another mind numbing, energy consuming waste of time that in reality is unnecessary.
- Wilcke, Vernalis, USA
It amazes me to think that people like Cole are thought of as attractive. If my daughter decided to emulate her I would be sick to my stomach.
I would say most of the designers have serious issues with women if they think this is attractive.
- Bryan Will, Denver Colorado
Well it is about time! The fashion industry has been exploiting young women and men for the longest while and has been sending the wrong message to the youths of today. It is not cool to be skinny and sick looking thinking it is all en vogue.
- Diane Stephenson, Florida, USA
I'm sorry, but this should not be legislated, especially by BMI, a largely useless number anyhow. For example, my BMI is 36, that makes me "obese", but it doesn't take my musculature into account; facts like I can leg press half a ton, and bench double my body weight, more importantly to this is my wife, a size Zero and has a BMI of 17, but that is her natural "BMI". Her mother and sister were the same way. It is a combination of genetics and exercise. I grow tired of the near constant attacks she receives accusing her of being anorexic or bulimic; she is neither. The government should not ban women like my wife from a career just because some other woman isn't sensible enough to know how to say no. The western culture has so heavily taken the attitude that if a person isn't overweight then they are emaciated. Travel to Africa, then you will see what emaciated is. Ignorant reactionary legislation is not the answer. You want to change the current system do so financially, with boycotts, protests, etc.
- Zurel Darrillian, Fort Wayne, USA
I too believe it is time that the fashion industry be held accountable for this trend that they encourage. I look at some of these models and cringe and I highly discourage my daughters from subscribing to the fashion magazines any more it is beyond amazement that this girls are glorified and held up to the public for looking like they live in a nation facing famine, shame on them and shame on us for putting up with it for so long.
- Andrea Trimble-Nash, St. Augustine
I fully support the ban. The fashion industry's use of dangerously thin models is shameful.
- Adam, London, UK
I agree. My 10-year-old daughter is very petite but asked me early this week if it looked like she needed to lose weight. Healthy children should not be worried about their weight.
- Sonia, Birminham, USA
It's about time. As a guy, these emaciated women are NOT attractive and the industry is harming them and other women with this Abnormal view of womanliness.
- Stephen, St Louis, MO, USA
Why is the fashion industry encouraging this trend? They should be prosecuted for causing harm to these very vulnerable girls.
- Dhanraj, Basildon
