20 years ago the average fashion model weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today, she weighs 23% less

[BertieBotts]

I know this is Daily Mail, sorry, but I saw it elsewhere and wanted to share.

How sad is this article?

I am going out shortly but I am very shocked at the pictures and statistics, even though I probably shouldn't be. :( (Nude pictures, tasteful as in "nothing on show", but may want to avoid if at work etc)

There are two possible contributing factors here:

1- weight of models going down
2 - weight of average woman going up

Which has had the biggest impact?

Yeah, this stats is meaningless without additional qualifications.

I just couldn't take that article seriously. Why tf did the models have to be naked and clinching?

I'd imagine the average woman is significantly heavier now than 20 years ago.

Yes it is upsetting about fashion models being so thin, I have been told it is to do with the clothes being on display rather than the women so thinner women are preferred for runway shows because they make the clothes look better.

I can't help thinking that the statistic might be due to the increasing weight of the average person over the years.

Of course that doesn't make this topic any less important as fashion models can have serious health issues, I suppose the fashion industry will have to change this will take time though.

Whilst I hate the modelling industry for promoting the skinny ideal - I do get annoyed how the word "anorexia" gets used so lightly in articles such as these. In my opinion, it takes away some of the understanding of how complex anorexia is. It does not help others to think that people suffering from anorexia are simply trying to copy models.

The models may be starving themselves to be thin and young girls may starve themselves to copy them. This does not mean they are anorexic. Unhealthy - yes. Putting their health at risk - possibly. But that is not the same thing.

As someone who battled anorexia for over 10 years - I can state categorically that I did not think I was beautiful. I could not have walked down a catwalk with people looking at me. It wasn't about being thin like a model. It was about control over food to compensate for other areas of my life where I had no control.

I think this is an interesting article.

Some of the comment made me though. Below is one particularly charming man, who I am sure is as attractive as can be:

"It seems a regular occurance now ........ fat, hideous looking women trying to tell themselves that fat is attractive by quoting that they are average, along with this that or another. Sorry, but UK size 14+ and above is fat, plain and simple. The only reason myself and other comments similar are getting red arrows is because there are simply so many fat people, that us normal, healthy folk are in a minority. The fat model makes me feel ill and there should be laws against women like her exposing themselves in public."

I don't think the soft porn pictures are necessary. Can you imagine the equivalent with two men being allowed? And women probably weigh more these days.

Women by and large are overweight nowadays even many women who think they arent.I notice watching things from the 70's back people where just much slimmer in general , but healthy.

And also sizes were different, like when people say Marilyn Monroe was a 14, yes she was, in the 40's/50's when its was perhaps the quivialent to a size 12 today.

*equivalent.

It's meaningless without the numbers.

Where are the numbers?

I demand numbers.

As others have said, without numbers, it is pointless and meaningless.

Also, people go on and on about the pressure on young people to be thin these days. I admit that that's worrying and it's awful that so many suffer from body image issues. I think it's sad that so many spend so long worrying about how they look, especially when things are photoshopped so much and the ideal is impossible.

However. If there is SO much pressure, why are there so many fat people? People being fat is also unhealthy. When I was at school, there was one fat girl in my entire year. Now every school I go past, there are so many fat children. I think, in all honesty, obesity is a bigger worry in this country.

I agree yellow its like a huge gulf between the verging on eating disorder worried and obesity , seems like a middle ground has disappeared.

A set of BMI figures for each set of women would be a more convincing argument. If typical models 20 years ago were inside the healthy range, and typical models nowadays are "underweight" by BMI measures, then yes it's an important difference. But if they are still in the healthy range (or were always similarly underweight) then it's not a "things are getting worse" result, just a "things aren't changing" which isn't exactly news