New study finds models are woefully underweight
YES, they’re beautiful and wear amazing clothes, but the truth is out (again). And this time the results are truly staggering.
A new study has uncovered something that will shock — shock — millions. Supermodels don’t eat seconds.
A Danish beauty-industry group conducted a survey of 3000 models employed at every prominent agency in the world and determined that 94 per cent of them are woefully underweight.
The researchers from DreamModels came to their conclusion about the general low Body Mass Indexes for models by first obtaining their height, bust size, waist width and hip measurements from public data available on their employer’s web sites.
DreamModels then used a “body visualiser” system to estimate how heavy they were, since the websites don’t include the models’ weights.
Those numbers were then combined to calculate the catwalkers’ BMI.
Surprise, it was found that models are skinny — really skinny.
Only 75 of the 3000 models surveyed had a healthy BMI, which ranges between 18.5 and 25, the group found. None had a BMI over 21.
The average model stands 177cm, weighs about 54kg with a BMI of 17.3. The World Health Organization classifies anyone with a BMI under 18.5 as malnourished.
That means Victoria’s Secret’s Alessandra Ambrosio, who has the average height and weight of a model based on DreamModels’ analysis, is starving.
Last year, France enacted a law banning runway models whose BMI is below 18.5.
California politicians have proposed a bill that requires models in the state to get a doctor’s note stating they are healthy.
“Studies show that up to 40 per cent of fashion models have eating disorders and as many as 50 per cent of girls in fifth to 12th grade think that they’re not thin enough because of the images that they see in magazines,” California state Assemblyman Marc Levine said.
The debate over how thin is too thin was raised again in Australia in March during the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival (VAMFF) when one of the models appeared “frail” and “worryingly thin”.
The model appeared in an Alex Perry show but the designer made it clear he was not involved in the casting and criticised the fashion industry for allowing thin models to continually walk in runway shows.
“Whoever the casting director is, or the people who are involved with putting that show together, they need to put their hands up and say ‘This isn’t right’,” he said at the time.
“Everybody has a responsibility. It’s up to the designers, the event organisers, the model’s agents. But everyone seems to get off scot-free. Like hang on, ‘Why are you promoting that girl?’.”
Parents who are concerned about their children can seek advice, support and access to resources by calling Butterfly’s National Support Line on 1800 33 4673 or email support@thebutterflyfoundation.org.au
This story first appeared on the New York Post and is republished with permission.