Models go into their jobs knowing that their bosses and the public will scrutinize them, but do they realize that what they are about to go through can be life threatening? In today's society, the harshness of the fashion industry is overwhelming. Throughout history, models have always had some sort of expectations, but over time the standard has only become worse. Models are forced into severely unhealthy and dangerous eating patterns that negatively affect them physically as well as mentally. Their bosses tend to neglect the health of their models, as they believe that extreme thinness is the ideal look for photos and wearing their clothing items. Designers and magazine editors need to stop and realize the tremendous harm they cause, however, because forcing their models to be emaciated can only lead to severely dangerous and potentially fatal disorders.

Since the 1800s, the expectations for models have changed numerous times. Author Aimee Rubensteen, writing for You Bright Young Things, explains the various transitions. During the 1800s, the beauty ideal was one of a larger shape, because it showed that a person was wealthy enough to eat whatever foods they preferred. Women during these times strived to look even pudgier than they actually were by wearing corsets and other uncomfortable clothing items (Rubensteen). Later on in the 1900s, a "more natural figure" was desired, so models had a healthy look and did not try to alter the look of their bodies with their clothes (Rubensteen). As time went on, the 1920s brought upon the phase of "slender, boyish figures", as women began receiving the same rights as men (Rubensteen). As the 1950s approached, models again strived for a natural look. During this time especially, curves were appreciated and models sported the body types of average women. They were able to feel admired by just keeping a healthy figure. The current problem that models face in today's society began in the 1970s.

By 1975, models turned away from natural, curvy bodies and turned toward unnatural, bony ones. Since then, the problem has only increased. According to Rubensteen, in "1975, top models weighed 8 percent less than the average woman. In 2006, they weighed 23 percent less" (Rubensteen). As the statistics have continued to worsen, model body types have become emaciated, and our perceptions of beauty have become distorted. During a time where technology is so significant, devices such as Photoshop have become extremely advanced, as well very powerful. Not only do editors use Photoshop to disguise minor flaws on women, it is now commonly used to conceal models' bones because of how skinny they are (Rubensteen). Photoshop should not be used to hide natural flaws such as freckles, wrinkles, blemishes, and so on, because it sends the message that these models are not beautiful the way they are. No one is airbrushed in real life, so why should models look like that on paper? On the other hand, editors definitely should not need to use Photoshop to hide bones that are showing through someone's skin, because these women should not be forced to be so severely underweight anyway. If a person's bones can be seen through her skin, she is most likely malnourished and extremely unhealthy. Designers and editors should care more about their models' well being, rather than making them look as thin as possible.

The first step to fixing the issue of models feeling the need to be so incredibly underweight is to have designers and editors realize how dangerous their high standards are. Models suffer from harmful health issues, live with terrible eating disorders, and in less common but unacceptable cases have died. These complications occur because of what they do to their bodies in order to feel sufficient for their jobs. According to the website A Game of Roles, in 2006, two famous models died due to eating disorders that resulted from pressures from their bosses (The Skinny). One of them, Ana Carolina Reston, was told she was overweight when she was merely a size 6. Although the fashion industry portrays the average size of a woman to be a size 8, it is actually a size 14 (Netscape). In reality, Reston was probably underweight for her height; however after being criticized, she resorted to a diet of solely tomatoes and fruit juice, which led to her heartbreaking death (The Skinny). The other model, Luisel Ramos, felt the severe coercion early on in her career and brought her clothing size down to a 00. Ramos struggled with anorexia to manage her body at such an unhealthy weight, which eventually killed her as well. If only these young women had not felt the need to reach such a small size, they would not have put themselves in such unnecessary danger. Unfortunately, the deaths of models suffering with anorexia are not too surprising, as according to the National Association of Anorexia and Related Disorders, "20 percent of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems" (Eating Disorder Statistics). In addition, "eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness" (Eating Disorder Statistics). Looking at these statistics, it is shocking and very concerning that the fashion industry still silently encourages these dangerous and possibly fatal disorders.

Although death from eating disorders is a huge concern in the modeling world, people living with anorexia and bulimia also suffer from a variety of other issues. Eating disorders are mental diseases that affect the body and the mind, in many negative ways. The National Association of Anorexia and Related Disorders reports that, "almost 50 percent of people with eating disorders meet the criteria for depression" (Eating Disorder Statistics). It is unfortunate to think that some models grew up with the thought that modeling would be their dream job, only to end up starving themselves and becoming depressed. Also, many people that have these disorders do not want to confide in friends or family about their disease, so they end up not getting any help. Sadly, "only 1 in 10 men and women with eating disorders receive treatment" (Eating Disorder Statistics). This problem is very common with models, because they are told to believe that it is what they should deal with to keep their jobs. Models struggle with these diseases every day, and it is such a shame that their bosses refuse to take their models' health into more consideration. Designers and editors feel that they have the power to force their models to look however they please, disregarding the harmful effects they are causing.

Designers argue that because they make the clothes, they should get to make the model as well; what they are not considering, however, is the safety of their models. After the deaths of Ramos and Reston, a sudden, yet unfortunately brief, concern went through the fashion industry. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) knew they had to do something. The CFDA Health Initiative was established in the United States, which was meant to "promote wellness and a 'healthier' working environment for models" (The Skinny). Although this was a step in the right direction, many designers strongly opposed the idea. According to A Game of Roles, a critic of the initiative and a New York modeling agent, contended, "'I think it's outrageous, and I understand they want to set this tone of healthy beautiful women, but what about discrimination against the model and what about the artistic freedom that the designer has?'" (The Skinny). Gould makes her point that the designers should have "artistic freedom," but she does not consider that the models deserve to have some say in the fact that they are blatantly damaging their own bodies. Designers should start to focus more on their clothing items being fashionable, and their models wearing them confidently, rather than how impeccably skinny they can force their models to be.

Another dangerous issue that designers overlook is the fact that they use significantly younger models to take advantage of their undeveloped body shapes. Throwing young teenagers into the harsh fashion world can lead to negative mental and physical impacts on the girl. Many models will even admit this themselves, as they truly understand the complications. According to a Life & Style interview with model Jamie King, she completely agrees (Rose). Now at age thirty-two, she reflects back to when she began modeling at the young age of fourteen. She confesses that starting a job with the expectations that it comes with at that time in her life was very dangerous. She also admits that she has been overly obsessed with her weight since then and has reverted to drugs for weight loss. In her interview, she stated, "'I grew up in Hollywood, and my whole life I believed that I have to look like a 14-year-old'" (Rose). In addition, she admitted that to this day, she still eats like '"a toddler'" (Rose). The major issue here is that although Jamie, as well as other models, realizes that what she is doing to her body is so unhealthy, she feels severely pressured to continue her habits to keep her job. These models are taught from such young, vulnerable, ages that the skinnier they are the better they are, and that mindset carries on throughout the rest of their lives.

Models begin their careers and end their careers by being convinced that unhealthy eating habits are the key to success. As their bosses constantly drill this idea into their heads, they feel that it is their only option to keep their jobs (which unfortunately, it is). According to A Game of Roles, "models are told not to be 'anorexic' but simply 'look it'" (The Skinny). By giving this message to women, designers are implying that models need to keep their weight extremely low, even if it takes anorexia to get to that point. Some fashion designers, such as Janice Dickinson, are brutally honest enough to admit that they want models that are dangerously thin. According to Elena Gorgan, an author for the Softpedia news site, Dickinson has been caught in multiple interviews expressing her frightening point of view on the way models should live. In one interview, she said that '"these girls are paid to be skinny and they should do just that: be skinny and not eat. If along the way, they pass out on the catwalk or die of starvation, that's their problem and they should learn to deal with it"' (Gorgan). While many designers may agree with her statement, she has been criticized by some as well. Models should not be "paid to be skinny," they should be paid to look healthy and beautiful, and wear the clothes well. Dickinson went off in another interview about how she blatantly supports models being anorexic. She declared, "I'm dying to find kids who are too thin. I've got 42 models in my agency and I'm trying to get them to lose weight. In fact, I wish they'd come down with some anorexia. I'm not kidding. I'm running into a bunch of fat-assed, lazy little bitches" (Gorgan). The fact that models work for people like Dickinson, it is not surprising that they resort to eating disorders. If their bosses encourage eating disorders and other harmful eating habits, most women would feel the need to do so in order to keep their jobs. Her statements clearly demonstrate the harsh world that models live in today, when it is completely unnecessary for them to live like that.

Unfortunately, models are continuously falling under the pressure of the industry and have caused their bodies a lot of harm because of it. According to the International Business Times, who interviewed a former Vogue editor Kristie Clements, models consistently engage in severely unhealthy habits just because they believe they have to. Clements describes the situation as "the ultimate vicious cycle" (The Skinny). She explains how if models gain any weight, they will be scolded; they proceed to lose the weight plus more, and they will be praised. They start to feel that the more weight they lose, the more they will be accepted and wanted as a model. There are models that eat tissues to fill their stomachs without consuming calories, that receive intravenous therapy to get their nutrients so they do not have to eat actual food, and that faint frequently from lack of nutrition (The Skinny). While these are all "telltale signs of anorexia," the fashion industry continues to simply turn their heads away and let their models believe that it is acceptable (The Skinny). According to Clements, '"It is practically impossible to get a photographer or a fashion editor- male or female- to acknowledge the repercussions of using very thin girls. They don't want to. For them, it's all about the drama of the photograph" (The Skinny). For a former editor of a major magazine to admit this after witnessing it first-hand emphasizes how real the problem truly is. Designers and editors need to realize that thinner does not always mean better.
Fashion designers and magazine editors should stop focusing so much on thinness and realize that the people who will be buying their clothes are all very diverse, so their models should be as well. According to the National Association of Anorexia and Associated Disorders, "the body type portrayed in advertising as the ideal is possessed naturally by only 5% of American females" (Eating Disorder Statistics). If designers are trying to sell their clothing items to the entire public, why are they using models that only portray the body types of 5% of the population? It would make much more sense to use a variety of body shapes to truly show what type of clothing looks like on different body types, so buyers can get an idea of what it would look like on themselves. According to the Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders, "the average woman is 5'4" and weighs 140 pounds. The average model is 5'11" and weighs 117 pounds. Most fashion models are thinner than 98% of American women" (The Renfrew Center Foundation). If designers are aiming to have their clothing appeal to people of all different body types, then they should show that through their models. It is ridiculous to force these girls to be stick-thin, when practically no one who will actually be buying the clothes will be their size. According to research, the public seems to agree that there needs to be a change, and fortunately some companies are beginning to implement it.

One company that has decided to take initiative on changing the image of models within the past year is Aerie. Aerie is the sister company of American Eagle, which features undergarments and sleepwear, geared toward the ages fifteen to twenty-one (Krupnick). They have taken the spotlight this past year as they have started a new campaign called AerieReal. Aerie's catalogues and online shop now feature models of all different sizes, without being photoshopped whatsoever. They look for models that are healthy and happy, and represent different body types. According to ABC News, a reporter interviewed the style and fit expert of the Aerie line, Jenny Altman, to ask about their goals and motives. In addition to the fact that they are not worrying about their models starving themselves, Altman explains, "it's a selling point because our customers represent this great demographic and they don't really get to see what girls their age really look like" (American Eagle's Lingerie Line). She makes a good point; most average people that are purchasing these items would much rather see a normal-sized model than a stick-thin one (The Skinny). On the People.com website, the author of an article about AerieReal asked the readers to comment with their reactions to the campaign. All of the readers responded with very positive comments, including, "How awesome is this?" "I've never shopped there before, but I will definitely be checking them out! I absolutely love this campaign!" and "Great idea!! IT'S ABOUT TIME" (Aerie's New Lingerie Ads). If one campaign is getting such a positive response, designers and editors everywhere should take the message and realize that no one wants to see anorexic models.

Today's magazines and runways are filled with bony models that are then Photoshopped to what designers and editors consider "perfection." Some people might not think about it, but the model on the page of a magazine is most likely suffering from an eating disorder, or is engaging in other unhealthy eating habits that are most likely very detrimental to her body. The bosses of these models simply just ignore the fact that their employees are inflicting such harm on their bodies, and many times even encourage it. In their minds, extreme skinniness is their priority, no matter the consequences. These designers and editors need to alter their mindsets and realize that their models' health is more important than her fitting in the smallest size. If they took a moment to notice the public's reactions to excessively thin models compared to averagely sized ones, the designers and editors would realize those who are buying their items agree that there needs to be a change.
