Real Beauty: the Supermodel Runway
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7 April 2008 The Runway: Disaster to Society. Fashion is a prevailing custom or style of dress, etiquette, socializing, etc. Top designers such as, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Coco Chanel paint the pages in magazines and store ads everywhere. The clothes are shown off by beautiful, young, idolized models. Guys fantasize about them and girls envy their beauty and fame. The fashion industry is a huge part of today’s society. Everywhere you look there is a model, displaying a top designers’ product. Today there are reality television shows about becoming a model, such as, America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway. Models and fashion are all over the place and bring in a huge percentage of the industry’s income. Sure fashion is fun and trendy, but has anyone ever considered the harm that the fashion industry causes? The danger this industry inflicts on society. More so what dangers it imposes on girls of all ages. Due to the extremely high level of publicity women everywhere are constantly reminded in order to be desired you have to be small. Since society says skinny is what women should be women everywhere are doing anything in their power to be thin. Most cases of eating disorders are due to the ridiculous rules and regulations models must follow and meet. In the United States 1-4% of women suffer from an eating disorder (NEDA). For example, the average runway model is between the ages of 14 to
19, with an average age between 16 and 17. The average height is between 5’9 and 5’11 weight is about 120-124 pounds. The average model wears between sizes 2 and 4 (Hellmich). The Body mass index of a model is less than 18 (Klonick). The average American woman is 5’3 and weighs 135 pounds (Asimov). This means that the average pant size for her would be a size 10 or 12 (Slim Statistics). Very shocking difference between the two, wouldn’t you say? According to body-image researcher Sarah Murnen, those who are exposed to the most fashion
7 April 2008 The Runway: Disaster to Society. Fashion is a prevailing custom or style of dress, etiquette, socializing, etc. Top designers such as, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Coco Chanel paint the pages in magazines and store ads everywhere. The clothes are shown off by beautiful, young, idolized models. Guys fantasize about them and girls envy their beauty and fame. The fashion industry is a huge part of today’s society. Everywhere you look there is a model, displaying a top designers’ product. Today there are reality television shows about becoming a model, such as, America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway. Models and fashion are all over the place and bring in a huge percentage of the industry’s income. Sure fashion is fun and trendy, but has anyone ever considered the harm that the fashion industry causes? The danger this industry inflicts on society. More so what dangers it imposes on girls of all ages. Due to the extremely high level of publicity women everywhere are constantly reminded in order to be desired you have to be small. Since society says skinny is what women should be women everywhere are doing anything in their power to be thin. Most cases of eating disorders are due to the ridiculous rules and regulations models must follow and meet. In the United States 1-4% of women suffer from an eating disorder (NEDA). For example, the average runway model is between the ages of 14 to
19, with an average age between 16 and 17. The average height is between 5’9 and 5’11 weight is about 120-124 pounds. The average model wears between sizes 2 and 4 (Hellmich). The Body mass index of a model is less than 18 (Klonick). The average American woman is 5’3 and weighs 135 pounds (Asimov). This means that the average pant size for her would be a size 10 or 12 (Slim Statistics). Very shocking difference between the two, wouldn’t you say? According to body-image researcher Sarah Murnen, those who are exposed to the most fashion