The Negative Effects of the Fashion Industry on Eating Disorders
ENG 150
18 October 2012
The Negative Effects of the Fashion Industry on Eating Disorders
While it’s fashion week in London, the size “zero” models start to prepare for the big show by purging to be as thin as possible. Most models starve themselves in order to achieve the “waif”, stick-thin figure; it becomes so addictive, almost like second nature that it further leads to serious eating disorders. From recent studies, today’s model weighs about 23% less than the normal woman. Clearly, most models do not depict the average woman. Men and women all over the world follow the influences that the fashion industry provides. They believe that the fashion industry depicts on what society should be acknowledged as, picture-perfect thin. Most models look like they had descended from heaven, but in reality they live in a sad world where body image is what is considered beautiful and they would do just about anything to achieve it. Society is also taking a nose dive into this self-deprecating environment, where it is definitely not healthy for a person to develop and thrive. As Naomi Hooke, anorexia survivor, acknowledges, “Anorexia has often been perceived as a quest for model-like beauty . . . many anorexics detest their bodies,” she then further goes into detail how this industry became her downfall (3). These waifish models on the runway cause major damage in the well-being of many, as well as their own; they create body image complexes that haunt women forever. Yes, the fashion industry is well known for the classic thin models, although in the 1950’s models symbolized the beauty of the average woman, full figured and all, but today’s models should not depict to an individual on what they should be perceived to look like, yet it happens every day.
When a victim of eating disorders views a model, they think, “Why am I so fat? Why don’t I look like her? What do I need to do to look like that?” The confidence and the self-worth of these victims start to fall
18 October 2012
The Negative Effects of the Fashion Industry on Eating Disorders
While it’s fashion week in London, the size “zero” models start to prepare for the big show by purging to be as thin as possible. Most models starve themselves in order to achieve the “waif”, stick-thin figure; it becomes so addictive, almost like second nature that it further leads to serious eating disorders. From recent studies, today’s model weighs about 23% less than the normal woman. Clearly, most models do not depict the average woman. Men and women all over the world follow the influences that the fashion industry provides. They believe that the fashion industry depicts on what society should be acknowledged as, picture-perfect thin. Most models look like they had descended from heaven, but in reality they live in a sad world where body image is what is considered beautiful and they would do just about anything to achieve it. Society is also taking a nose dive into this self-deprecating environment, where it is definitely not healthy for a person to develop and thrive. As Naomi Hooke, anorexia survivor, acknowledges, “Anorexia has often been perceived as a quest for model-like beauty . . . many anorexics detest their bodies,” she then further goes into detail how this industry became her downfall (3). These waifish models on the runway cause major damage in the well-being of many, as well as their own; they create body image complexes that haunt women forever. Yes, the fashion industry is well known for the classic thin models, although in the 1950’s models symbolized the beauty of the average woman, full figured and all, but today’s models should not depict to an individual on what they should be perceived to look like, yet it happens every day.
When a victim of eating disorders views a model, they think, “Why am I so fat? Why don’t I look like her? What do I need to do to look like that?” The confidence and the self-worth of these victims start to fall