BAN MODELS WHO DO NOT MEET HEALTHY BMI WORLDWIDE

On September 13, 2006 Madrid, Spain put a ban on overly thin models for Madrid’s fashion week. This means that models that were under a body mass index of 18 were turned away. Over 30% of the models that walked the year before could not walk the show. Deputy finance minister of the regional administration in Spain by the name of Concha Guerra said that “Fashion is a mirror and many teenagers imitate what they see on the catwalk.”

Virtually everyone falls short when they size themselves up against the images of models on the catwalk or in the magazines. According to About.com, approximately 7 million girls and women struggle with eating disorders in just the U.S. alone, and most of these girls would say that a huge trigger in their eating disorder are models and celebrities. This is who they try to imitate.

Just imagine what it would be like if models weren’t rail thin, but of a healthy weight? If all models who were not of a healthy weight were banned from modeling, I am confident that the overall well being and esteem of girls and women would improve without having to live up to the images that are thrown at us every single day.

I would love to flip through a magazine and see a beautiful woman who looks great, and know that she is healthy. Young girls can look at these models and say, “see you can still look beautiful without being underweight!”