A growing awareness of eating disorders has sparked an ongoing examination of the body image models present. Concerns about the body fat percentage of models and its impact on girls and young women erupted in controversy in 2006. Although the majority of female and male models continue to be thin, being too thin can cause a model to lose work.
Background
Top fashion models continue to be slender women, although the industry has created more opportunities for plus-size models, and a model perceived as being "too thin" may lose out on modeling opportunities. An increased awareness of the impact of presenting a stick-thin body image has led to changes in the fashion industry. Weight and body fat percentage continue to be crucial issues for working models, yet overall, there's a trend toward a healthy look, rather than an undernourished one.
Controversy
Even within the fashion world itself, disagreements continue over how thin is too thin. Madrid's fashion week in 2006 banned underweight models, resulting in removing 30 percent of the previous year's models from the catwalk, according to a CNN article. Medics assessed the models based on body mass index, or BMI, a standard measure of body composition that estimates body fat based on weight and height. A BMI below 18.5 indicates an extremely low body fat percentage and is considered underweight. Being underweight may contribute to health problems. In 2010, Tyra Banks' "America's Next Top Model" TV show eliminated a contestant because of a concern that her extremely thin body sent an unhealthy message to young women.
Body Image
Runway models are generally 14 to 19 years old; 5 feet, 10 inches to 5 feet, 11 inches; weigh 120 to 124 pounds; and wear a size 2 to a size 4, according to 2006 "USA Today" article on thin models and girls' body image. That's a BMI of 16.7 to 17.9, falling in the underweight category.
Although there's more media coverage and emphasis on female models and their impact on body image, male models are subject to changes in public taste and the fashion industry's requirements for specific "looks" too. Male models also primarily present images of thin, young bodies or muscular bodies -- which can require a lower-than-normal body fat percentage.
Considerations
Striving to be model-thin can contribute to the development of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Excessive dieting, binge-purge cycles of eating and vomiting or abusing laxatives can cause health problems and even death. Maintaining adequate nutrition and refraining from potentially harmful practices such as depending on diet pills or starvation tactics are crucial for maintaining health and attractiveness.
Women should consume a minimum of 1,200 calories a day, and men should consume a minimum of 1,500 calories. The more physically active you are, the more calories the body needs to prevent muscle loss. A BMI below 18.5 is underweight, and a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is normal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
References
- CNN; Skinny Models Banned From Catwalk; September 2006
- "Forbes"; The World's Most Successful Male Models; Lauren Streib; May 2008
- WPIX; Top Model Contestant Too Thin; Emily Frances; September 2010
- "USA Today"; Do Thin Models Warp Girls' Body Image?; Nancy Hellmich; September 2006
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: About BMI for Adults
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