1) The fashion industry promotes a specific body type. Advertisers also prefer a particular look; for example, they use tall, skinny models to sell fashion. The average person does not have the body dimensions of a top model; therefore, this type of appearance is unfeasible for most people. A public backlash has developed against the skinny top model image. People on both sides of the controversy have an opinion. They may love the fashion industry, or they may hate it.
2) Critics blame the fashion industry for depicting unrealistic body types. First, top models are far too thin. Their Body Mass Index (BMI) is less than 18.5, but a healthy woman should have a BMI between 18.5 and 25. The industry pressures models to remain uncommonly lean. Young girls compare themselves to models, and they develop negative body images. Skinny women are found in fashion magazines, on billboards, and on television. According to psychologists, such images contribute to eating disorders in adolescents, and the images may also lead to yo-yo dieting.
3) Some in the fashion industry have chosen to present more realistic body types. In 2006, one Madrid fashion organizer banned overly skinny models from fashion runways; in fact, about 30 percent of the models could not participate in the show. A well-known cosmetics company has launched a regular-women campaign. Dove uses ordinary women to promote a line of body creams. According to a Dove spokesperson, the company wants to encourage debate about body image.
4) However, many in the fashion industry are reacting negatively to the critics’ demands. For example, Lucio Guerrero is a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. He is offended by the Dove regular-women campaign, and he does not want to see women with big thighs. Also, the Dove campaign is hypocritical. Dove sells anti-cellulite creams and anti-aging creams, yet at the same time, the company tells women to accept their own bodies. Furthermore, according to some