Fashion And Eating Disorders: How Much Responsibility Does Industry Have?

When the Council of Fashion Designers of America re-released its health guidelines earlier this year, it called for increasing awareness about eating disorder symptoms and recommended a ban on models younger than 16 walking in fashion shows. The goal was industry-specific: To address what the council's website calls the "overwhelming concern about whether some models are unhealthily thin."

But as CFDA CEO Steven Kolb acknowledged, fashion's influence is broader than that.

"As Diane [Von Furstenburg, CFDA president] and I wrote in our outreach letter to the industry ... 'Fashion Week has become a powerful voice, which reaches millions of people across the globe and we should not underestimate the consequences of the messages that we send,'" Kolb said in an email to HuffPost.

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, nearly 70 percent of girls in grades five through 12 said magazine images influence their ideals of a perfect body. In so-called "pro-anorexia" forums, posters write about watching fashion shows and combing magazines for "thinspiration."

Yet little hard data exists about whether or not the ubiquity of ultra-thin models causes people outside the industry to develop disordered eating or full-blown eating disorders.

"In general, when I'm working with patients, this concept of a 'thin ideal' does come up," said Dr. Allegra Broft, a psychiatrist in the Eating Disorders Program at Columbia Psychiatry, who explained that eating disorders are very complicated in terms of their etiology.

"It's reasonable to say that exposure could be a factor in the development of eating disorders," she continued. "But has a causal link been established? No."

The National Institute of Health estimates the lifetime prevalence of anorexia and bulimia is 0.6 percent of the U.S. adult population, but among 13- to 18-year-olds, it is 2.7 percent. There are numerous risk factors, including being female, age (eating disorders are most common in the teens and early 20s), family history and influence, as well as the presence of additional mental health issues.

According to HuffPost blogger Susan Albers, Psy.D., a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, exposure to thin models could also play a role.

"Although thin models are not the cause of eating disorders, they can be a trigger or a factor in maintaining an eating disorder," she said. "In other words, if a woman has a predisposition for an eating disorder and spends a lot of time looking at fashion magazines, this can be one of the factors that triggers feeling bad about her body, which she then turns into eating disorder behavior, like excessive dieting."

Much research has suggested a relationship between the two, though Dr. Anne E. Becker, a professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, said there has not been any single, definitive scientific study. Experts say her own research is among the most interesting on how media might influence body image and problems.

Becker's work has concentrated on Fiji, where she found the arrival of the television corresponded with, among other things, an increase in disordered eating, including vomiting to lose or control weight. A follow-up study found that second-hand or peer exposure was particularly powerful, with friends discussing, copying and internalizing media images. Though Becker cautioned against extrapolating such results to the U.S., she said individuals here could be influenced by fashion in a similar way.

"With Fashion Week, and all of those thin models, and clothing that looks best on a size zero -- what that does is set a standard of what is socially desirable and prestigious that is likely to have a powerful influence on social norms," she said. "If one day we had a Fashion Week where there were size 16 models, I suspect that would be very influential, too."

HuffPost blogger and plus-size model Leona Palmer said that day could be far off: Plus-size models rarely walk in fashion shows, she said, and she doesn't anticipate that changing. (Both Ford and Wilhelmina, which operate plus-size divisions, declined to comment on booking trends.)

But the 30-year-old says she has worked steadily since she began modeling seven years ago, explaining there is "far more" work in catalogs. Palmer also cautioned that plus-size models are not necessarily any healthier in terms of their eating habits than their "straight-size" counterparts.

Yet the model said she does feel a sense of responsibility when it comes to influencing body image and issues on a broader scale, both in terms of young girls going through what she described as "average American girl food issues" like she did, as well as those who are at risk for more serious eating disorders.

"It's why I did this," Palmer said. "I was really ambivalent about it, but my mom said, 'If you had been growing up and seen someone who looked like you in a magazine, it would have changed your life.' And I thought, 'You're right. It would have, in terms of what I thought I needed to fit into in order to feel beautiful.'"

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Comments

[mereworth1954]

02:47 PM on 09/21/2011

I'd tell young girls, you think those chicks in the magazine are gorgeous? Well, strip off the fancy duds and turn a hose on 'em. THEN see how "gorgeous" they are with no fancy clothes, no make-up, no fancy hair, no meat on their bones, their ribs and backbones sticking out.

Soaking wet they'd all look like a bunch of starved horses standing in the rain. What's so appealing about THAT?

[JDUPRE]

01:24 PM on 09/15/2011

Look at the stars who are just sticks: Gweneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Cate Blanchette, Nicole Kidman, etc. Sets a very bad example. But they are the highest paid stars. It hurts to look at them.

[Lucky S7even]

06:39 PM on 09/14/2011

overeating is more of a problem than under-eating. how many people die from anorexia vs. heart disease from obesity?

[kareruhana]

09:02 AM on 09/21/2011

It is difficult to estimate how many heart disease deaths are due to obesity, because heart disease is not directly caused by simply overeating. You would be healthier overeating a diet of fish and fresh veg/fruits than eating moderately on a diet of fatty meats and fried foods. You could also have genetic predisposition to heart disease that results in early death even with the healthiest habits.

There is also the fact that yo-yo dieting, starvation dieting, and bulimia cause stress on the heart that can lead to cardiac problems later in life, so a percentage of those heart disease fatalities ARE people with eating disorders.

Meanwhile, the overeating -might- lead to heart disease later in life, after 40-60+ years, whereas anorexia tends to kill pretty quickly. Btw the death rate associated with anorexia is 12x higher than that of of all causes of death for females 15-24 years old.

Having said all that, why bring up comparisons of how many die from what? A higher number of people dying from one cause doesn't make another cause insignificant. More people die from cancer than AIDS, but that doesn't make AIDS any less important.

[Lucky S7even]

10:23 AM on 09/21/2011

1. when you think about overeating and see empirical evidence of overeating, are people generally overeating fish and vegetables? no. so to distinguish different types of overeating isn't really helpful to any discussion on how to engage in healthy eating habits. if someone has a broccoli addiction, then they likely aren't part of the discussion.

2. the majority of heart disease is clearly--and most doctors will attest to it--linked to obesity and poor diet/sedentary lifestyle.

3. very small portions of heart disease and obesity are related to genetic/medical conditions. so the sooner we stop making excuses, the sooner we move forward and take control of our heath.

4. cancer vs. AIDS? "more important" isn't the issue. but cancer should be more urgent if it kills more people right? furthermore, cancer patients have a higher percentage of getting the disease absent behavior. that is, AIDS patients are more likely to have contracted the disease as a result of their own choices than cancer patients are. this doesn't mean that AIDS patients shouldn't get help. it just puts into perspective the priority of things that must be addressed.

[Diana Bitritto]

01:04 PM on 09/14/2011

Ever notice? In the fahion shows, the girls look as if they haven't eaten or slept in weeks and the guys look as if they're watching their cars being towed away.

[simzillyjp]

02:21 PM on 09/14/2011

It's not the industry.....It is American society that dictates woman be anorexic thin. You do not believe me? You do NOT buy magazines with heavy girls on it. Men do not "look" at heavy girls. Americans will NEVER admit to only liking anorexic women. (just watch for all the people who TRY to say otherwise)

[liven]

11:24 AM on 09/15/2011

Men do not look at heavy girls???

Then how come there are so many overweight wives out there?

[MissFrijole]

01:01 PM on 09/14/2011

Even when I tell myself these women are sickly looking and that my boyfriend likes the way I look, I still feel fat and ugly. I don't have an eating disorder, but I still feel like other people are eyeballing me. I'm not fat, I know, but sometimes I feel that way. I know I sound ridiculous, but my point is that even if you wiped out the fashion magazines and media influence, there will still be girls and young women out there who will not be happy with themselves.

[gloriaswanson43]

03:15 PM on 09/14/2011

You don't sound ridiculous at all. We all have our "I feel fat" days.

[Annie McRae]

10:17 PM on 09/14/2011

I can really relate. But, 'fat' is not a feeling. When I am feeling 'fat' I'm actually feeling shame.

[gloriaswanson43]

06:49 AM on 09/15/2011

I'm guessing that not one of us should feel shame. Yet we do. Why should we be ashamed at the normalness of our own bodies.

[Goddess Athena]

12:28 PM on 09/14/2011

I don't think you can put the blame on any one factor for eating disorders. Yes, the prevalence of the super-skinny model does affect some young girls. But it is the attitude of the people who raise those young girls that has the most effect. Then add to it all the outside influences - peer pressure, media images - and I think that is when a young girl with self-esteem issues is going to start having problems. And it does not help when actresses, singers, and other famous women are mocked and criticized in the press for gaining weight, or when it is socially acceptable to mock obese people. Young people are constantly hit with conflicting messages all around.

[mystic woman]

11:52 AM on 09/14/2011

Please - we have an overabundance of obese people in our country with the same "responsibility" argument targeted at McDonalds. Just substitute "fashion industry" for "fast food industry" and you have the same debate at opposite ends of the scale. In truth, people are responsible for their own beliefs, rationalizations and behavior. Which ever eating disorder they to have rests on the shoulders of the person with the problem.

[Annie McKelvey]

11:59 AM on 09/19/2011

That is the most ridiculous comment I have heard. You physically have to go into a McDonalds and order food while the media is all around you. You can not turn on the television or look through magazines without seeing this "ideal woman". The fashion industry has put a lot of pressure on women. I am a model and have seen first hand the comments and scrutiny involved in your daily work.

[Gina Kraft]

10:56 AM on 09/14/2011

It is not the fashion industry alone, it is a combination of ALL outlets of media. Young girls grow up with fashion magazines and pine to be the air-brushed goddesses that grace the pages. Young boys grow up ogling Victoria's Secret models and the "supersized' breast of the beautiful airbrushed women of Playboy. You get my point. These "goddesses" are donned in expensive wardrobes, and are primped and preened by a team of make-up artists, hair stylists, etc. Their beauty IS an illusion and we somehow have to teach our youth growing up that movie stars and idols, while they may be attractive, USUALLY have a team of people to make them appear to be the idolization of perfection that we perceive. They get pimples, cellulite, warts, saggy boobs, ingrown hairs, etc., too. We just don't see it. They don't just roll out of bed being that beautiful.....though exception of a few.

[liven]

11:49 AM on 09/14/2011

Yes, boys grow up ogling those pictures, with the full knowledge that the vast majority of them will never get a woman who looks like that. Boys accept that reality, though begrudingly.

The problem with women is that they are competing for a certain type of man, of which there are very few, and these women will go to great lengths to attract these men, who likely couldn't care less about them as people.

Men are asked to accept women as they are, and I believe most men do, but the ones these girls are trying so hard to attract, have unlimited choices, so they will go for the "hotties."

It's all about expectations and limitations.

[Goddess Athena]

12:35 PM on 09/14/2011

Sorry, but I don't completely agree that boys/men accept the reality that they will never get a "Goddess Girlfriend." Yes, some do accept reality, but there are just as many who think that all they have to do is earn enough money and the super-hot women will beat a path to their door. And given the way some women make it very plain that they will do anything to marry a rich man, these guys aren't far off.

A friend of mine (male) went to a matchmaker who told him "If you aren't Tom Cruise, you're not going to get Nicole Kidman." Apparently, she had several male clients of average looks who rejected any woman who did not look like a super model.

[carol246]

12:09 PM on 09/14/2011

whoops. i hit the favorite button when i meant to hit reply. this is NOT a favorite comment. what about taking personal responsibility and quit blaming everyone else. i see the same commercials, eat at the same restaurants, watch the same shows and see the same magazines as everyone else. however, watching out for my health is my responsibility and how i eat is only determined by me. teach your kids this and quit trying to blame society.

[Gina Kraft]

01:13 PM on 09/14/2011

My comment wasn't meant to be deep and to preach, so simmer down.
It was just a point to put out there. If I were to start writing about taking personal responsibility, rearing our kids right, and "liven"'s comment above, I would be writing for days. I'm happy with my looks, I take care of my body, read magazines too.....I'm not blaming it solely on media. Geez. That's not what I was talking about.

I was making one point and one point only. What you see in magazines and on T.V. is not always reality. Beneath the airbrushing, plastic surgery, fake eyelashes, professional make-up, professional hair styling, and expensive clothing, there is a normal person under there. That is ALL I was getting at. :)

Did I get off the subject of the article, maybe yes.

I'm not doing an After School Special. I'm at work and don't have time to get in-depth. All I was saying is that certain people and kids see these images and don't realize all that goes into them. That's all :)
So chill guys. I'm not trying to get deep.
Of course there needs to be personal responsibility in raising our kids. There needs to be personally responsibility with ourselves. That is a given and obvious!!!

[williamg]

09:41 AM on 09/14/2011

The fashion industry is also responsible for the fact that more Americans are obese than ever before.

Someone is always to blame. Just don't make the mistake of blaming the people who chose to overeat or starve themselves. Its not their fault. Blame models, commercials, movies, politicians, teachers, unions, etc.

Its just easier that way.

[Pembrokelib]

08:29 AM on 09/14/2011

Girls who are too thin- size 0 - are not attractive at all. And emphasizing emaciated looking models is harmful to those with eating disorders. It may not cause bulimia but it doesn't help the all too common idea that skinny is pretty.

[jh72hockeymom]

10:54 AM on 09/14/2011

First of all size 0, didn't exist years ago. The garment industry has increased sizes (vanity sizing) as women got bigger. As an older woman, I have seen this over time. Tell me how you can go from a size 5 to size 0 over the years withouth losing a single pound? Nobody EVER talks about height when it comes to size 0's. If a woman is barely 5 feet tall and a size 0 she is going to look nothing like a 6 foot model who is a size 0.

[carol246]

12:12 PM on 09/14/2011

ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ON! i am a size 0 now (almost 50 years old). while i am small, i am not emaciated. this is my normal weight, have normally been within 5 to 10 pounds of this all my life. i have never dieted and i pretty much eat what i want. as i get older, i might have to watch the goodies a little more, but i am so tired of people being rude and telling me i am too skinny. if i responded with 'you are too fat' that would be unacceptable.

[mystic woman]

11:55 AM on 09/14/2011

Everyone seems to think being thin is a choice. Some people are just naturally skinny. As I grow older my body changes, but I dont hold this against people thinner than me. Its just life.

[Lisa Shields]

07:44 AM on 09/14/2011

At the turn of the last century, when fashion dictated curves and voluptuous figures (ala Mae West), anorexia was virtually unknown, and very rare.It's hard to ignore the fact that as the models became thinner and thinner, and the standard of beauty became so weight specific, the number of girls and women (anorexia is rare in men) shot up.

If there were chatboards, and magazines to encourage other forms of mental illness, that make other self destructive behaviors seem normal, they too would go up.

I have a friend in the UK who has a gorgeous daughter, who signed with a modelling agency. She told her family that they wanted her to lose ten pounds...but in fact that request had never been made. It was her excuse to be more open in her bulimic rituals. Fashion provides an excuse, and even encouragement to these girls...they can tell themselves they are not sick...just trendy.

[reathea]

07:37 AM on 09/14/2011

The media needs to take their fare share of responsibility. Anyone who photoshops a photo to make the model look even thinner should be horsewhipped. Young girls have enough to deal with without adding this obsession to *fit in* with the acceptable boundaries of body image.

[mystic woman]

11:58 AM on 09/14/2011

I teach my kids to be strong minded instead of teaching them a blame game.

[Goddess Athena]

12:36 PM on 09/14/2011

Exactly!

[annapurnaeverest]

07:33 AM on 09/14/2011

I have been in Southeast Asia for the past few months. Here women (and men) appear exactly as women (and men) have appeared for tens of thousands of years. They look very much like those models.

Americans have changed in the past few decades. While we once looked like Southeast Asians and those models, we no longer do.

What's a girl to do? Find fault in ourselves. NEVER! We must find fault in what is natural.

[kapalabhati]

07:16 AM on 09/14/2011

How is this a debate?

What is the purpose of advertising? To affect behavior. What is the behavior an industry seek to affect? The purchase of their products. How does an industry attempt to do that? By placing their products in ads which appeal to a target consumer. How do those ads appeal to the consumer? By placing the product amid people and settings to which the industry believes the consumer would wish to identify or aspire. Whether it is Sally Field in a Boniva ad, Wilfred Brimley in a diabetes ad, or a six foot tall, 94 pound 17 year old. It is all the same. I see that person with that product, and I want to be that person.

[aurora97]

05:33 AM on 09/14/2011

The fashion industry is partly to blame. We cannot deny that. A friend of mine went to a casting for a fashion show. She is very beautiful, slim and really not fat, and the casting directors have told her to lose a few pounds. She is clever and refused to do it. Giood for her!