H & M model photographs

[Clafoutie]

I realise this isn’t a new thing. And I realise that H & M are not alone in this. But my eye was drawn by an H & M advert on this site and when I visited the H & M website I was appalled by the photos of models there. A lot of them are no doubt AI generated and modified, but they are presenting images of women who look unwell. I thought the fashion industry was moving on from representing women in this way. I was naive.

I was thinking this week how I love their new tv advert - models look fine.

I think this photo is OK, the model has some rounded flesh on her arms and legs, not just bones and skin. But I have noticed some very thin models elsewhere so I think the trend for healthy weight models is disappearing sadly.

It’s interesting isn’t it how yet again calling someone names who is slim is ok but heaven forbid if the same is done to a fat person.

Most of us won’t be able to look like boxers and rugby players as we can’t dedicate that level of time to training. Whilst we should aim to be healthy by doing a mix of weight training and cardio exercise that doesn’t mean being overweight

The thing is, the typical MN user is 30-50. So, yes, this looks thin to a lot of post child women. But many many young girls - who are H&M’s target - look like this naturally. Of course some do not, my daughter included - and me back in the day - but that doesn’t mean it’s not healthy.

That's what a healthy weight looks like.

The model who said she won't work out because she doesn't want her legs to get big (can't remember which model or magazine, but I do remember being sickened to read it) always worried me. And yes, I thought we'd moved on enough to say women can look strong, not just thin, but there have been lots of reports about GLPs destroying body positivity, even if we no longer use the heroin chic line.

I looked very similar to that when I was in my teens and 20s and I are normally. Some people really are that weight and perfectly healthy.

For everyone saying they are ‘healthy’, how do you know! We don’t know their height, weight, blood pressure, if they smoke, drink or take drugs.
Someone’s health status isn’t based on their visual appearance.

A healthy weight, clearly no one has access to their medical records, how silly,

What does that mean, destroying body postivity? You mean fat acceptance?

None of these women look anywhere near 'emaciated' or unhealthy. They're slim, healthy-looking women. They don't look like catwalk models.

I think a lot of people have completely lost sight of what a healthy weight/BMI actually looks like. The obesity rate in the UK is high and vanity sizing is rife on the high street now - a size 12, for example, is way, way bigger than it was when I was a teenager in the 90s.

I'm speaking here as someone who is overweight, and who would like to see more of a range of body types in the fashion industry. I don't necessarily think all models should be slim and I think it would be helpful to a lot of shoppers if they could see clothes modelled on different body types (which a lot of websites actually do these days). But calling these women 'emaciated' and 'unhealthy' is just nonsense and suggests a very skewed view of what a healthy weight is. A healthy weight is quite a broad range and these women would very likely fall well within it.

They are just slim, young and tall!

There is certainly a case for clothes stores using a variety of models in different sizes and ages to see what their clothes look like on different people, according to their target market, but I don't have particular concern about these models.

Do you know what their weight is? That’s my point.

Stop being obtuse, people clearly mean they visually look a healthy size. They don't look emancipated.

No,again how silly, habe you never looked at models on line. It gives height and dress size, it does not give medical records and weight. Seriously these are the siliest questions, I can’t beleive I’m even responding. We have eyes in our head,

but no, online retailers do not provide medical records or weighr of its models. To judge a health weight we look at height, dress size and body composition.

I’m sure they’re emancipated, but not sure that’s what you mean 🤣

a size 12, for example, is way, way bigger than it was when I was a teenager in the 90s.

It's not WAY WAY bigger than the 1990s, it's about a size different. I know as I was the same weight age 16 in 1991 and age 50 now. I'm more muscly now though.

It is very different from the 1960s (at least two sizes) but it would be odd if the range of clothes sold in the shops was only the modern equivalent of a size 4 to a size 10 and I had to go to a plus size shop to get a size 12 with normal BMI and a toned, fit body.

There was an advert for a clothes retailer (possibly M&S?) that caused a lot of fuss, as it made the model's legs look so stick-thin they were literally...sticks 😳

It actually really did look bordering on unhealthy, but i think it possibly was a modified photo IIRC.

I will see if I can find a pic.

What is silly is claiming that a person is healthy just by looking at a photograph. I thought we were beyond making assumptions based on appearance?

Girl same! I'm 5.10 and 60 kg, size 7 feet, no tits no bum, giant hands and noodle arms and I eat everything and I could probably bench press some of you judgey cowpats

Just off to tell my husband he's apparently a paedophile.

I have a beautiful teen daughter - however she has developed some serious body issues.

She’s incredibly tall (nearly 6ft) has boobs and a bum, she’s within the healthy BMI range for her height (BMI in the middle) yet constantly wants to diet as she doesn’t feel she is thin enough..she is never going to be a size 6 no matter how much she starves herself and exercise, nor is she going to shrink in height.

I blame social media and adverts like this, whilst I don’t think the models look overly unhealthy the obsession that my teen has developed to look like this is worrying when she is already a perfectly normal weight.

Thanks to weight loss drugs anorexia is back in full force.
I have one friend who looks like a famine victim, she must be 6 stone and is quite tall... she takes WLI and does not eat for days.
And I have another friend who has heart issues but is on a keto diet, eating only eggs and tofu.
When everyone can be skinny some will take it to extremes.

How else do you judge a woman’s bmi, and aim your silliness at the op.

Sure hon.