To be shocked by how thin this model is?

[Happyland8]

This model struck me as being particularly thin/ underweight. Topshop is a store that sell clothes to teens and anything upwards of that and my gut reaction was to think that young people really aspire to be like the models they see online/ in magazines, at least I did when I was younger. I thought that we should maybe be promoting a more healthy figure.

But then, I thought about the fact that many companies also have plus size ranges modelled by those who are overweight so maybe this is how things should be. We should have underweight, average weight & plus size models, in order to fairly represent society and to promote that people come in all shapes and sizes.

I'd be interested to hear what you all think?

I struggled with eating disorders when I was younger so I'm very much interested in this topic and how we go about promoting a healthy body image to the younger generations.

Was I being unreasonable to think that this lady is too thin or should we have models of all shapes & sizes?

Some people are just naturally very slim. Claiming a model is 'too thin' is no better than claiming a model is 'too fat'.

There should however be a wider range of body shapes throughout the whole modelling industry.

She looks perfectly healthy to me

For some women being that slim would be underweight to the extent they are doing harm to their bodies but for others they would be in excellent health. Which one the model is is really no one business.

She doesn’t look unhealthy to me. I wouldn’t describe her as shockingly thin. Just slender.

Please do correct me if I'm wrong ... but it was my understanding that actual eating disorders are a mental health issue, often triggered by a traumatic event, and are a way of exerting control.

So not really set off by seeing slim to thin women modelling clothes.

I'm not saying that only seeing one body shape in the media is right or healthy. But that when it comes to eating disorders, it's more complex.

She's just slender. Especially as it's for teens, not an issue at all.

I think it's perhaps the slightly dodgy PhotoShop that's thrown you off.

Another one for photoshopped here. Her arms don’t look natural.

She looks like my sister did when when was stupidly skinny.

She had been horribly ill and almost died and I remember her having a size 8 lycra dress (as was the fashion back in the day) that just hung off her.

This model is skinny - most likely in the underweight range - and not a 'normal/representative' weight.

Yes dowager. That’s what I thought too. It’s very complicated, but having witnessed it first hand, I can testify to the huge impact of social media, media images, television, models etc.. I know that’s purely anecdotal, but from what our camhs psychologist said, think it’s quite a common theme

It is the arms isn't it ? And those shoes are horrific

She looks totally normal. Apart from the arms. They definitely look photoshopped.

She looks fine to me. Why is it you

always see posts about how thin so and so models are but never about how big some models are? I’m about this lady’s size - perhaps even smaller, and I don’t really do diets or excercise etc, people think it’s ok to ask me why I’m so thin - I never ask anyone why they are so big, it’s just so rude.

She looks on the skinny side of normal to me. The women I know who look like this eat normally, and are usually fit and healthy. I'm carrying a few extra lb at the moment, but when I'm slimmer and fitter I end up with freakishly bony arms and a normal torso/arse/legs. Everyone carries weight differently. I agree the photoshop is awful though, and her arms look bizzare.

What dress size are you op?

I'm a size 8 - 10 (in topshop sizes) and the model looks much slimmer than me although it could just be that we are a different build.

She is very slim but my daughter looks like that & is perfectly healthy, just a tiny build. She eats like a horse.

dowager
Eating disorders have many triggers and peer pressure, fashion can play a part but that is a society issue not slim models. The controlling part is the mechanism that is needed for the eating disorder to thrive.

I think you could describe her as willowy just long and slim with twig arms I think even slim people can come in different shapes.

I think she looks a normal, healthy weight.

I’m excited! That would be an ace breastfeeding dress 😂

So myself and other posters being naturally this slim (I'm a size 0) makes us stupidly skinny? Underweight? Unhealthy?

No. My doctor is happy with my weight. I don't diet and I don't exercise. I eat what I want when I want.

It's a natural size/shape for some women.

Nothing wrong with that.

What gives a person the right to define someone as underweight/average/overweight? Surely it's down to personal circumstances and your OWN body.

I have never (even when pregnant) been anything over a size 6.

Her shoulders does look boney on one side. But maybe that's just her body shape. I think they use slim models because the clothes look better on a slim person.

Probably photoshoped, but looks like a fairly typical long, slim model build to me. The cut of the dress hides clues such as her collar bones, but she doesn't seem to have much of the gaunt, angular look that is common with being underweight and was popular in 90s modelling.

I agree. This model is too thin. I also don’t particularly like models that are too fat. Yes some people are naturally v thin/fat but they are often the exception and not the rule. I personally want to see women who have some shape with healthy BMI but hey I’m weird like that

Thanks @papayasareyum and @Boulshired

She looks fine to me. Naturally slim. I'm a size 16, mum a 6-8. Her whole life she's had comments, yet she eats like a horse! Fast metabolism.