When thin becomes deadly

Being thin is always “in” in the fashion industry, but some young models are taking this not-so-new trend to a whole new extreme. With fashion week coming up, hundreds of new girls are entering the fashion industry for the first time, many of them as young as 13 and 14.\nTop models, such as Coco Rocha and Tanya Dziahileva, usually have first pick of the outfits they wear, and designers are more willing to work around their sizes. Although already thin, these top girls don’t have to worry about their weight as much the new, inexperienced girls.\nThis “issue,” if that’s what you want to call it, is not new. Models have always had to watch what they eat, drink, etc. However, in the past few years, with the fashion changing and becoming more body-conscious, many girls have suffered at the sometimes cruel fate of fashion.\nIt is sad fact that words such as bulimia and anorexia are becoming a part of everyday conversation in the fashion industry. Filling size 0 and 2 dresses is not an easy task, and I commend those girls who are able to do that; but not if it requires them to behave unhealthily. Most of the time these young girls just need friendly advice and guidance in the right direction, because it is so easy to get lost and get with the “wrong” crowd in the fashion industry, and once you are set in a particular lifestyle it is very hard to leave or change.\nBrazilian model Ana Carolina Reston was one of those girls who cracked under the immense pressure to be thin in the fashion industry and died at the age of 21, weighing only 88 pounds. Her family and friends blame anorexia and bulimia as well as the fashion industry as the reason behind her untimely death.\nAnd while this is an extreme example, it should be noted that many of the newer girls might be heading in this direction. Death is not glamorous, people, and being overly thin is not attractive either. Fashion capitals, such as Madrid, are taking steps against this and are not allowing models in the fashion week whose weights fall under a certain range considered to be healthy.\nTop agencies and designers are encouraging models to eat healthily and exercise in moderation. While they prefer thin models, they also prefer living ones. In the end, there is no one to blame but the girls themselves. Yes, it is stressful, and yes, it is demanding, but it is what they signed up for. If girls such as Coco and Tanya can do it the right way, other girls should be able to as well.\nKeep in mind that women should never have to starve or hurt themselves in order to become models; the fashion industry does not want that. If you are sending a child who is 13 or 14 into this industry, you better stay by her side and make sure she develops and keeps healthy. No matter what she says, she will be influenced by what she sees: a lot of tall, thin beautiful girls all competing for those few coveted jobs.