Spanish fashion show rejects thinnest models
In accordance with the new regulations for this year's Cibeles fashion show 30% of models who appeared on its catwalk last year have been excluded for being too thin.
The models have been rejected because they do not comply with new rules put into place by Madrid's Regional Government demanding that models present a healthy image with at least an 18% Body Mass Index (BMI), i.e. they must weigh at least 56 kilos if their height is 1.75cms. These figures are approximately what the World Health Organization (WHO) considers to be the minimum healthy weight.
The designer Jesús del Pozo made the announcement in a press conference during which Concha Guerra, Madrid's Vice-Director of Economy and Innovative Technology laid out the new guidelines for the fashion show which starts on 18th September. She said they had taken this unprecedented step because they were aware of the influence the popular Cibeles catwalk had on young girls' perception of fashion and ideal bodies. She explained that the Madrid government were aiming for healthier-looking models and getting away from the wasting-away appearance of many models which was heavily criticised during the last Cibeles catwalk.
The announcement was made following her meeting with the principle modelling agencies and meetings with nutritional experts. The Director of the IFEMA Exhibition Centre where Cibeles is held was also involved in the consultations.
Susana Monereo, a doctor and member of the Spanish Association of Endocrinology and Nutrition has explained that BMI is related to each person's height and is an indicator of their general nutrition. Your BMI can be calculated by dividing your weight in kilos by your height squared. A healthy result should be between 18 and 25. According to the WHO a BMI less than 18.5% indicates that a person is underweight and a figure of 16.5% would require hospitalization.
This year models have been selected according to tests carried out by nutrition experts and Guerra said that the tests would be repeated just before the Cibeles catwalk is due to start (on 18th September). As well as insisting on a minimum BMI, the organisers will not allow models under 18 years of age to appear on the catwalk.
This is the first time an internationl fashion show has adopted such measures in order to avoid promoting a distorted image of beauty something which has been associated with anorexia and bulimia. As well as, models under 18 being forbidden from participating there are rules on the models' make up too.
Del Pozo, who took part in the meetings as a representative of the Association of Fashion Designers has admitted that although the new parameters may cause problems when selecting models it was well worth it in order to set a good example given the problems related to diet and weight in society today. He also drew attention to the fact that fashion photos are also manipulated using programmes like photoshop.
Monereo said that placing too much emphasis on being thin is a serious heath risk. Not only because it is related to illnesses such as anorexia and bulimia but because it is also linked to problems with fertility, hormone imbalance and osteoporosis. In her opinion it is a social problem whose solution ultimately depends on everyone.
The models have been rejected because they do not comply with new rules put into place by Madrid's Regional Government demanding that models present a healthy image with at least an 18% Body Mass Index (BMI), i.e. they must weigh at least 56 kilos if their height is 1.75cms. These figures are approximately what the World Health Organization (WHO) considers to be the minimum healthy weight.
The designer Jesús del Pozo made the announcement in a press conference during which Concha Guerra, Madrid's Vice-Director of Economy and Innovative Technology laid out the new guidelines for the fashion show which starts on 18th September. She said they had taken this unprecedented step because they were aware of the influence the popular Cibeles catwalk had on young girls' perception of fashion and ideal bodies. She explained that the Madrid government were aiming for healthier-looking models and getting away from the wasting-away appearance of many models which was heavily criticised during the last Cibeles catwalk.
The announcement was made following her meeting with the principle modelling agencies and meetings with nutritional experts. The Director of the IFEMA Exhibition Centre where Cibeles is held was also involved in the consultations.
Susana Monereo, a doctor and member of the Spanish Association of Endocrinology and Nutrition has explained that BMI is related to each person's height and is an indicator of their general nutrition. Your BMI can be calculated by dividing your weight in kilos by your height squared. A healthy result should be between 18 and 25. According to the WHO a BMI less than 18.5% indicates that a person is underweight and a figure of 16.5% would require hospitalization.
This year models have been selected according to tests carried out by nutrition experts and Guerra said that the tests would be repeated just before the Cibeles catwalk is due to start (on 18th September). As well as insisting on a minimum BMI, the organisers will not allow models under 18 years of age to appear on the catwalk.
This is the first time an internationl fashion show has adopted such measures in order to avoid promoting a distorted image of beauty something which has been associated with anorexia and bulimia. As well as, models under 18 being forbidden from participating there are rules on the models' make up too.
Del Pozo, who took part in the meetings as a representative of the Association of Fashion Designers has admitted that although the new parameters may cause problems when selecting models it was well worth it in order to set a good example given the problems related to diet and weight in society today. He also drew attention to the fact that fashion photos are also manipulated using programmes like photoshop.
Monereo said that placing too much emphasis on being thin is a serious heath risk. Not only because it is related to illnesses such as anorexia and bulimia but because it is also linked to problems with fertility, hormone imbalance and osteoporosis. In her opinion it is a social problem whose solution ultimately depends on everyone.
Labels: women in Spain
11 Comments:
This is so unfair! they do not take into account the structure of your body! i am perfectly healthy, and my BMI is 17!i am not even thin, i am what you call normal! The only thing is that my bones are light and i have a narrow figure, 86cm of hips. Hope this does not come to my country and I can go to the catwalk!
what a fabulous idea...if something like this were in the states, perhaps the extremes of anorexia and obesity wouldn´t be so prevalent.
Excellent idea:
It will be wonderful to watch beautiful women in a fashion show again, and not those walking skeletons, that are a disgusting and unhealthy example of beauty.
If you make a poll, you will find out that most of men (hetero) will prefer a 23BMI girl... and not those sick-looking women whose legs seem going to break in any moment and whose faces resemble those of a Nazi concentration WWII camp prisioner.
It is about time!!! I am sick of having stick thin women represented as the ultimate in beauty. If only other fashion weeks and labels would follow suit.
I am so happy to here that the fashion industry is beginning to see the side-effects of anorexia, bulimia, and the destress of the entire world, espeically women. I don't agree that a BMI is a good determinant for "health" or weight. BMI cannot distinguish between fat or muscle. The result could be a whole bunch of models obessed with building thin muscle so they weight more, but are more tone. I don't agree that we should exculd a group of indiviguals based on their weight, from doing what they want to do - in many ways that seems discrimatory. While I don't believe that establishing a number is a good idea, hearing their concern for the public image as well as the health of their models is comforting.
I've suffering from anorexia and bulima for two years and have become so confused as to what beautiful really means. Numbers aside, I hope the fashin industry can aid the public eye to see that both skinny ,healthy, and veloptuous can be accepted. (As I conclud, I think that if someone could use all three types of models in the same show the public would really be drawn in.)
I think this is a great idea! Thank goodness people in the fashion industry are realising what beautiful REALLY is! Hope it is put into place sometime soon in the future in ALL countries! I think all those skeletons currently prancing around on the catwalks will soon realise that unless they gain a real figure, they'll be out of a job.
There is a difference between being of slight build and being anorexic and any models who are rejected simply because of their body weight/size are at risk of being discriminated against.
In saying that, I applaud the stand taken by a number of fashion venues and hope that this could be the start of a swing against the unhealthy and dangerous images portrayed to young women as being something to aspire to.
However, I believe that the designers are the ones to target as many of them insist on anorexic models as clothes racks and will not show them on any model who is over size 4.
Maybe one answer is to start a movement to boycott labels who show the fashions on anorexic models. If the profits go down, maybe the sizes will approach something closer to healthy.
This is good news. I like the way the fashion industry in spain has decided to put an end to young women destroying their bodies just to walk down a catwalk. I hope the rest of the fashion industry worldwide will put into place rules that will help. It is sad though that it had to reach this stage. How will these young ladies who are suffering emotionally and mentally from these illness deal with this new turn in the fashion industry in Spain? It might hurt but I know all this is in the best interest of their health.
anorexic models is one thing but about models who are skinny by nature, the use of BMI is not always right i have taken it and its says underweight there is nothing i can do about I eat alot like every 1-2 hours and haven't gain a weight and wear a size 00-0 and im not anorexic if ur not skinny ur fat people are wanting to gain weight and some may start eating and cant stop until it goes to obsity or over weight if you follow the BMI size 0 models should be able to be on the catwalk people who are 66 pounds 88 pounds and losing weight every day should be taken off they need to be track.
I think that this is a good idea because people need too know that to be beautiful you don't have to be skinny. But the BMI is not a very good way to eliminate anorexic models. I have a friend who is tiny and real skinny but she is very healthy. They should find a way to analyize if a model is anorexic. i am a size 0 and am somewhat skinny but thats just the way i am.
Finally a good idea against the anorexia..
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