The media's portrayal of thin models on television, rather than women with a healthy weight and size, has become more prevalent in today's society. This places immense pressure on young women to strive for an excessively thin body, even to the extent of appearing skeletal. Although some may see this as the perfect body type, it carries substantial health risks and is ultimately impossible to achieve. It is crucial to question who benefits from the media endorsing this image and how harmful it is for our younger generation.
According to research, a significant number of teenagers regularly skip meals. Specifically, 26% skip breakfast, 22% skip lunch, and 10% go without both meals. This trend is concerning because it affects both young girls and boys who are influenced by societal norms that can have serious consequences. It is perplexing why
...society allows young girls to slowly starve themselves while acknowledging the importance of intervening when an animal is starving. As individuals who have experienced the challenges of adolescence, we understand how uncomfortable it feels to lack confidence in our own bodies. However, extreme measures should not be necessary.
The physical changes associated with being size zero or striving to be are often the only aspects that most people notice. However, the health risks and dangers faced by those who are size zero are identical to those suffered by individuals with anorexia. The impact on a young person's well-being is significant, resulting in weakened bones, reduced energy and focus, halitosis, increased susceptibility to acne, brittle hair and nails, and decreased muscle strength. Furthermore, protruding bones are not attractive and cannot be considered synonymou
with beauty.
Dicing with the possibility of death poses considerable health risks. The issue of size zero gained significant media attention following the tragic incident involving Luisel Ramos, a promising model who, in order to showcase her talent on the catwalk, was advised to lose weight. Regrettably, she collapsed during Uruguany’s Fashion Week and ultimately succumbed to heart failure. This unfortunate event prompted Madrid Fashion Week to ban models with a size zero figure, ensuring that her sacrifice did not go unnoticed.
Milan implemented a ban on models with a BMI of 18 or lower participating in the fashion industry. This BMI level indicates severe unhealthiness and being underweight. The British Fashion Council also encouraged healthy models in 2007, however, The International Herald Tribune recently reported that most models have a BMI between 12 and 14, well below the minimum required.
Three prominent Italian fashion brands - Prada, Versace, and Armani - have made a joint decision to ban size zero models from their fashion shows. In September 2007, a study found that almost forty percent of models could be struggling with eating disorders. Although the investigation suggested prioritizing health, it did not propose an outright prohibition on size-zero models. Furthermore, the report recommended including larger sizes such as fourteen and sixteen in fashion shows while also forbidding models under the age of sixteen.
Victoria Beckham implemented a ban on size zero models participating in her New York Fashion Week runway show in September 2010. She deemed twelve models to be 'too skinny' and insisted on showcasing her clothing with "healthy girls who look 'realistic'" to promote positive body image among
teens. Following suit, Israel introduced a law in March 2012 requiring models to have a certified BMI of 18 and mandating informative notes for advertisements featuring photoshopped images making models appear thinner. An advocate for the law claimed that decreasing dress sizes were endangering model lives over the past two decades, while another agent criticized it as "arbitrary" and unsuitable for all models.
There is a growing acknowledgment that achieving size zero is impossible, but numerous models who fit into this size object to being called "sick" and "unhealthy." They advocate for the liberty to live their lives as they desire, asserting that they are not harming others and considering themselves to be in good health. However, sizes that are now considered "emaciated" and "harmful to well-being" were previously deemed acceptable.
Fashion designers are currently making smaller clothes to boost sales, resulting in a size six from ten years ago being labeled as a size zero now. This belief reinforces the idea that smaller sizes are linked to more fashionable and desirable clothing, causing women to aim for a thinner body shape. However, these women also experience harsh treatment since society tends to criticize underweight individuals while overlooking comments towards overweight people. This perceived inequality in negative attention frustrates these women.
Women should have the freedom to define their own concept of being healthy, just as they have the freedom to be overweight. As long as they are in control of their bodies and feel content and confident, there is nothing morally objectionable about it. However, it is important to note that appearing extremely thin or emaciated is not attractive and disrespects
those who are truly hungry in the world. Therefore, I strongly support implementing more measures against size zero models.
It is essential to give more focus to this significant issue. Fashion models choose a slender look in order to advertise clothing, but vulnerable young girls are increasingly seeing this as an ideal. It is important for society to be reminded that beauty goes beyond extreme thinness. To grasp this concept, we can examine images of Marilyn Monroe, a renowned icon from the 1950s. Despite consistently being a size sixteen throughout her life, she was widely recognized as one of the most stunning women globally and fully accepted her body.
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