Skinny Models Are Being Asked to Be Skinnier, Because Duh

In some really unsurprising news, the fashion industry still idolizes the super-thin model. But Rosie Nelson, a model from the United Kingdom, is over it and wants to change the longstanding glorification of skinniness within the industry. At 23 and a size 6, she was told by an agency that she needed to lose weight. After shedding nearly 2 inches off her hips, she was still instructed to get “down to the bone.”

“When I look in the mirror I see someone that is healthy and comfortable in their skin. That’s because I had the guts to carve out my own path and refuse to let people pressure me into losing more and more weight,” she wrote in a Change.org petition. “But with London Fashion Week the reminders are everywhere that we need a law to protect young girls, and boys, who are put under pressure to be dangerously thin.”

Swedish model Agnes Hedengård raised similar concern recently. The 19-year-old model, who is 123 pounds and 5 feet 9 inches tall, was told she was “too big for the industry.” She made a vide, which went viral worldwide, bringing international attention to the subject. “There are many young girls who are in the same situation and my purpose was to let the world see that somewhere out there, someone is telling a 13-year-old girl that she needs to lose a few pounds,” she said.

Asking for 75,000 signatures, Whelan has acquired nearly 20,000 so far. She’s asking that the UK adopt policies such as the law passed earlier this year in France which bans superskinny models from the runways. It also requires that catwalkers have a Body Mass Index of at least 18, as well as a weight of around 121 lb. for a woman with the height of about 5 feet 7 inches. Israel, Italy, and Spain all have similar policies.

In the United States, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has a health initiative to keep models safe. The guidelines, which were enacted eight years ago, requires minor models to be treated as child performers (requiring employees to adhere to labor laws) and asks members to promote healthy lifestyles. “Although we cannot fully assume responsibility  for  an  issue  that  is  as  complex  as  eating  disorders  and  that  occurs  in  many  walks  of  life,  the fashion industry can begin a campaign of awareness and create an atmosphere that supports the wellbeing of these young women.”

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