Models Are Too Skinny
Super skinny models have created an unobtainable beauty standard overtime. Everyone has their image of what perfection should look like in this society, so why does “perfection” have to be skinny?
When young girls see a skinny model on TV it creates an unreal expectation for them to live up to. Women have been trying to lose weight in an unhealthy manner to achieve their image of “a perfect body.”
If fashion designers, magazine covers, etc., start using a diverse selection of women that are all different shapes and sizes, it would make a bigger impact on today’s society. If a woman sees a magazine cover of a skinny model she would create unrealistic expectations for herself and her body to achieve a similar body to the model. If she saw a diverse variety of women on a magazine cover she would know that any size is beautiful and that anyone could be a model.
Thin does not necessarily mean healthy nor does it define what beauty should look like. Many models suffer from eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia trying to stay thin because a “successful” size is 0-2. In one study, 81 percent of the models surveyed reported a body mass index of less than 18.5, which is considered underweight by the World Health Organization.
Social media promotes unrealistic expectations for mostly teenagers showing them how their body needs to look like in order to be beautiful and feel accepted by society. Most social media models and others use Photoshop to make their pictures appear skinnier when people see the pictures they assume that’s how they always look. Models push dieting products such as detoxing tea to make others believe that’s how they achieved their “perfect” body, so people feel obligated to get the product because they believe they will acquire a similar body.
Almost every organization that uses models does not incorporate all body types. Skinnier models are sinking expectations for people who don’t have the same body as them. Magazines, fashion industries, modeling organizations need to get over featuring a skinny model. If anything it would make people more interested in what the models are featuring because it would make the average person relate more to the model and the product they are advertising or selling.
Most models are skinnier than an average person, which makes most feel imperfect or bad about their image. The models force unrealistic expectations for their bodies and how they should look in order to meet their standard of beauty. Women should never feel bad about themselves by seeing a skinnier girl in a picture or on a magazine, most women would feel empowered if they saw a plus-size model at a fashion show it proves that anyone is beautiful and anyone could be a model and not have to wear a size 2.
Jenifer Puckett is a junior. She joined journalism because she thought it would be fun.
Other Interests: Sleeping, hanging out with friends, shopping
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Adonnell • Nov 24, 2022 at 8:52 pm
It’s not that this is even beautiful or normal. It’s because it’s on the tv, and just like social media—just because it’s on there and is marketed to be ‘happy’ or ‘pretty’, it doesn’t mean is. There is deep psychological marketing and American culture sadly has been greatly brainwashed by corporate and capitalist greed. We think buying stuff makes us happy, but despite the freedom which we should always fight for in this country, we have to de careful with how much control that unhealthy concepts and what we want to promote for our people in our society. And it’s got to be critically thought out and not just not thinking about the effects and what actually makes people happy!
Ava Paynter • Aug 23, 2021 at 1:52 am
I’m a model. My BMI is 17.5 and my agency told me that my hip measurement is too wide for me to model internationally. In order to go international, I’d need to loose muscle mass, around my hips and butt, therefore making me weigh even less.
The standard of beauty in the modelling industry is quite literally killing people. I think it’s fair to say that models are “too skinny”.
nathan • Feb 4, 2020 at 9:14 am
they’re not too skinny they just have better genetics and are very careful about what they eat so they can continue to be a successful model.