Fashion Industry is Killing Women

[oceanforkids]

How the Fashion Industry Is Killing Women


The pressure on models to be thin—and the resultant pressure on girls, boys, women and men to conform to an unattainable ideal—is immense.

http://www.alternet.org/media/150600/how_the_fashion_industry_is_killing_women

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This is horrifying. I've seen some of the photos of recent models and they are so shockingly thin I can hardly stand to look at them. When the Ethiopians were having mass starvation, some of the victims of that tragedy didn't look as bad as some of those models. It's a shame it's not illegal.

Personally, I think women look much nicer and healthier with a little meat on their bones. I really don't think today's models are pretty. I often watch movies from the 50's and 60's and those women weren't a thin as a piece of paper, they looked normal - and they were very pretty. They looked healthy, too. Until Twiggy came about. But even SHE looked healthy compared to today's insanity.

I wonder -- do men think emaciated women are attractive?? Do we have any men on this forum who could/would answer that?

[bmc65]

I'm usually the odd man, err -ah women, out on this issue but I don't agree. I don't see that many of the models looking that thin. A few may... but from what I've seen they are in the minority. Most are indeed thin, but not to the point of being really unhealthy. (It is possible to be very thin and eat a healthy diet by the way). It's trying to be thin in the constraints of the current SAD way of eating that messes things up. Anyway, I think there are gorgeous women that come in all different sizes. There are the Kate Moss types and then there are the bodacious ones like Queen Latifah, followed by many others in between and on the extreme. I for one would like to see an end to the thin model bashing. I've been thin. I've been ridiculed for it, especially for my small breasts. I haven't really liked it. I feel thin model bashing is just another form of women bashing. We are all fierce and fabulous no matter what our size.

[Reesacat]

We are all fierce and fabulous no matter what our size.
Bmc65-I LOVE THAT! You go girl!

I am bodacious and battle-ready!

[bmc65]

Reesacat, you most certainly are. I'm continuously blow away by you scientific knowledge, sharp wit, and compassionate support.

[oceanforkids]

They weren't bashing the models, they were bashing the industry.

I've seen photos of some of these gals. They look ill and anorexic and stick thin and starved. It's just not my thing to want women to make themselves look like that because they think they HAVE to (by the industry). That's what makes it wrong, IMPHO.

[Reesacat]

TY Bmc65-coming from you that is a cherished compliment!
I so enjoy your posts-as I do everyone on the forum. I am so blessed to know y'all!

[highlander]

Modeling is perceived as a glamorous job – especially by younger girls/women. From an advertising point of view tall, thin people wear clothing better and photograph better. They look cool. It’s just the truth. Most girls are not model material but they so strongly want to be that many will starve themselves if they think it will give them a foot in the door. OTOH, there are many girls who are naturally thin. People used to think I was anorexic when I used to model in my late teens and early twenties. But apparently they weren’t paying attention when I could eat most of a large pizza by myself with zero remorse (and pass the beer). Recently, I took my 15-year-old daughter to the doctor for a checkup. She’s about 5’3.5” and weighs about 96 pounds. The nurse (after checking her trusty chart) was freaking out saying she was underweight. But my (oldest) daughter has a very small frame and eats whatever she wants whenever she wants. She has no hang-ups about food whatsoever. She and I completely blew off the nurse (without being rude).
@bmc… I LOVE Queen Latifah! I remember when I first saw her on MTV singing a rap song saying “Who you calling a bitch?” Loved her straight away.

[highlander]

Regarding men...I think their various tastes in women are as different as women's taste in men. Just like we were talking about men on another thread. I don't like pretty boys (like male models) but some women adore them. Some men love big breasts while others say more than a mouthful is a waste. And thank goodness, right? Otherwise loads of people wouldn't have mates. Sometimes I see a couple and think I need a pie chart graphic to figure out how they are attracted to each other but whatever floats their boats is ok.

[Aaltrude]

Regarding men...I think their various tastes in women are as different as women's taste in men.
It is interesting to compare a man's choice of partner with his mother. Often there are many similarities, not only in appearance but also in temperament. 115
I guess the same could also be said of a woman's choice of partner.

[Samurai]

A very good friend of mine who is 6' and wears a size 6, has used laxatives for 12 years now. She is physically addicted to them, and cannot seem to get help.

[bmc65]

There are the people with eating disorders Samuri. It's very sad. I think the diet industry and the plain ole' evil food industry are even more to blame for this. Even as recent as the 70s you could find an over weight person or two, but they would be the exception. Most of these folks probably had some kind of metabolic problem that made it easy to pack on the pounds. I think only a few of these people actually over ate themselves into obesity(IMO). Today finding a healthy weight person is becoming the exception. We all know it's the franken foods that are doing it.
I had my own little experience with this yesterday. I began my day having a bagel and cream cheese (not something I would normally eat). Before meeting up with my friend to go out with her and the kids, I grabbed a meat pie and spinach pie for lunch from the local greek bakery (lots of filling packed into filo). After hanging out awhile, my friend wanted to go to Cosi for pizza because the kids hadn't had lunch and she really likes Cosi pizza. I agreed and had two small squares to be polite. Well that did it. I had been over-carbed, and most likely ingested some addictive chems as well. All of a sudden food I normally would not look at began calling out to me, like cupcakes at the starbucks and such. Luckily I knew what was going on and repressed the urges, but imagine what it is like for folks who eat like this all the time? My friend gave in to the double choc cupcake by the way.

[Reesacat]

Eating disorders have many causes-not just body image but substance abuse, control issues, biochemistry imbalances, etc. Images in popular culture might trigger it, but the health professionals who deal with them find them very complex and not related to just one trigger/problem. I had a friend growing up who had one and we just didn't know what to do with her-I think she probably had some kind of biochemical imbalance. She didn't abuse drugs (just starved herself) and the family was a good healthy one. She was not the victim of sexual abuse as far as I know-she did have unusual hormone problems and I always wondered if that was a factor.
And as bmc65 said the additives in the food wreck normal appetite control and screw up your biochemistry which I think would make people susceptible to eating disorders more likely to have one.

[Pattypans]

It is interesting to compare a man's choice of partner with his mother. Often there are many similarities, not only in appearance but also in temperament.

I don't know, Aaltrude; there's probably some truth in that in some cases. But I have a theory that if Mom isn't much of a cook (ahem, looking in the mirror at me as Mom), her sons will probably marry good cooks. Mine did. Just saying.

[Aaltrude]

I don't know, Aaltrude; there's probably some truth in that in some cases. But I have a theory that if Mom isn't much of a cook (ahem, looking in the mirror at me as Mom), her sons will probably marry good cooks. Mine did. Just saying.
Ah yes, but do these good cooks resemble you in appearance?