America's new top model ...or top skeleton

[sarahlou]

I think that the comments about context are spot on. If we saw that same model in athletic gear or perfoming a sport, we would think that she was healthy or at least naturally thin.

I am not disturbed by her thinness, but by the first image where she is displayed as sexual "candy". That kind of imaging does more harm to the young women who view it than the fact that she is thin.

In that picture her thinness makes her look pre-pubescent and that is disturbing especially since there are cherries all around her not to mention that icecream cone- uggghh. That is what makes me sick.

[KSH]

Well, I was never taken back by how skinny she is.

Honestly I just think she looks like a drag queen. Not an attractive woman.

[Wahine]

First the disclaimer. Yes we are making assumptions about this women's lifestyle. But I can firmly say as a healthcare professional that examines people's body types, musculature etc as part of my means of diagnosing problems and as a casual tri-coach...

The first thing I would ask that woman is when was the last time she had a period. She may be naturally skinny, but that doesn't make her healthy. I would estimate her body fat at less than 9% which is very unhealthy for a woman. My .02. And it does upset me that these images are projected as the ideal.

I am 5'7" and weigh about 142 lbs. My waist is 29", chest 36 A. I look great, my legs look great, though muscular, but they don't look bulky and I've got a butt like a sprinter. If I try to put on a pair of "fashion" pants in *my size*, I cannot get them on becuase they are made for women with stick thighs. I am athletic and I have strong self esteem. If I was 16 yrs old and athletic with the same body type that I have now and I couldn't fit into the pants that all my girlfriends were wearing... I think I'd be pretty depressed and would be prone to an eating disorder. To me, this is the core of the issue.

It doesn't matter if you're talking about being overweight or anorexic, the issue is what messages are we sending to our youth.

[Kitsune06]

Yes, but, Wahine, you work your azz off. It'd be *so* much easier to just starve to death.


My sarcastic humor for the day.

I was 5'7" and 108. I started cycling and went up to 112. All legs and butt. 6 pack abs. Sleek, smooth, powerful. ... but none of my pants fit anymore. I was told I was "getting chunky" I had some slight softness on my stomach, which was, compared to the 'more softness' now, just loose skin, which disappeared when I straightened up and flexed my abs. In retrospect, my pants not fitting right was just because my glutes and thighs were developed much more than before, but at the time, yeah, I thought I was gaining massive amounts of weight.

I was 112-115 in Dec when I met X. I was very lithe, despite my desk job, b/c I was biking to work.

I'm 130 now, after eating better and biking s'more... I know some of it's belly softness and some padding on my azz, but honestly, I know it all looks good. I don't have a 'belly pooch' if I sit/stand up straight, and still have great ab definition when I flex.
...but I've found it difficult to watch myself gain weight and feel like it's okay. I love being toned and, honestly, very slim, but I know when I'm healthy and toned, too.

We need a bacon cheeseburger, STAT!


Ooops, looks like we didn't get to this one in time...

sticks on the slab... coroner's report reads... acute cheeseburger deprivation.

[Tuckervill]

I don't think just being skinny has many advantages. In this culture, you must be skinny AND have nice big boobs (which usually don't co-exist naturally) to be seen as pretty. I also agree with what Eden says:

I was surprised to see on the cover of Cosmo in the check-out yesterday that the model probably had AA boobs, instead of big bazombas falling out of her dress. They were pushed together rather uncomfortably, though.

Karen

[mimitabby]

are those pictures really models?

[Bikingmomof3]

I was 112-115 in Dec when I met X. I was very lithe, despite my desk job, b/c I was biking to work.

I'm 130 now, after eating better and biking s'more... I know some of it's belly softness and some padding on my azz, but honestly, I know it all looks good.

Oh Kit, I bet you look fantastic!!! This post made me so happy!

[Bikingmomof3]

are those pictures really models?

Mimi, have you seen recent fashion runway models? It makes me sad. One of the top designers was discussing them, he never knew many fainted inbetween their walks. He never paid any attention at all until one of his daughter was hospitalized for an eating disorder.

[Kitsune06]

I wonder if this would help...?

I know I've seen 1920's medical text books reference their use to help people lose weight... one could even buy them in bottles, oddly enough.

[7rider]

I seem to recall that Spain has banned models with a BMI below a certain level as an attempt to stop this madness.
Just a hunch....but I believe Kitsune's "model" would find no work in Spain.

[mimitabby]

Regina,
I think Italy is doing it too. Enough is enough. These girls are endangering their lives.

[Python]

I wonder if this would help...?

I know I've seen 1920's medical text books reference their use to help people lose weight... one could even buy them in bottles, oddly enough.

By the look of these models, the poor tapeworm must be suffering from malnutrition

Seriously though. I suppose I could be described as a stick insect with anorexia I've been 6 1/2 st (91 lbs) since I was 16 years old, I'm 5ft zilch tall. I've had two healthy kids, both well over 8 lbs at birth and I've never been on a diet in my life. I eat good, healthy food usually home-cooked. I'm 50 now and still weigh the same as I did when I was 16. I suppose I'm one of life's naturally small people.

These ultra-skinny models are a bad example to young girls. No wonder we're starting to see girls as young as 8 with anorexia or some other eating disorder. To compound matters here in the UK, there is a drive to cut "obsesity" among children. What many of the people promoting this (doctors mainly) are forgetting that many children have "puppy fat" which disappears by the time they reach 16. I think there's far too much meddling with what people eat one way or the other and I think it's going to cause major problems for many people in a few years time. However, by saying that, too many youngsters sit infront of the TV or their games consoles instead of going out to play. Not healthy

[Kitsune06]

There's baby fat then there's childhood obesity. I had a friend who was always a little heavy, then I didn't see him for 4 years after high school, now he's a tall, brawny drinkawater. I mean Wow. but that was baby fat. Then there's my friend K who was 250+ and 5'8 in high school, and is now ~400.

[missymaya]

I think that when people see the extreme, they don't agree with it, but if they see something a little bit more mild, their ok. Like the pics that kitsune showed, most people would agree that those models are too skinny and that's unattractive. But when they see pics of an actress or model who is still very very thin but isn't bone poppin' skinny, she's fine. The same applies to men. If they've got too many muscles, that's gross, but if they look like calvien klien models (which most men dont) that's the ideal, even if it's unattainable. My BF faced the issue of "bulking" up to look more masculer. Everyone he worked with and even his mom, wanted him to gain more weight (which is hard for him, b/c he has a super fast metabolism plus he's 5'3 so bulking up wouldn't be right). Everyone told him to work out a whole bunch and take weight gainer but my thoughts are if he just is that way, let him be. He's perfect the way he is. For some stupid reason, everyone feels that we have to fit into this cookie cutter image.

[Kitsune06]

Yes. And yet there are some shorter guys who are just *solid* muscle... and then it doesn't look 'right' because we want tall with long muscles and curves that flow. A friend of mine, my dad's best friend's kid (well, all the men in that family) 5'3-ish. All of 'em. Solid-built farm boys. Art was a wrestler when he and my dad were in high school, was the 2nd lightest guy on the team and could take down everyone else, even the heaviest guy, on their team. Sons inherited it. Were nicknamed 'stump' because they were short, stocky, didn't realy have necks and had biceps/forearms that were remniscent of others' thighs/calves. Just amazing... but not a 'sexy' ideal, even if the kid could easily lift up the front end of my geo for kicks.

*shrug* always the unattainable.