I'm Unhealthy and Underweight...
...According to Spain. Yes it's true, my BMI is 16.5 which according to the scale is two whole points under what is deemed healthy. Here is the thing, my whole life I've been anywhere from 15 to 20 pounds under what the chart in the doctor's office said I should be. Yet I'm healthy. I play sports. I eat food, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. I'm small boned, petite yet in a tall person's body. But my eating habits and work out habits only help keep me thin and more importantly in shape. The truth is my parents gave me these genetics. I'm naturally thin. And because of what I consider fortunate genetics mixed with a healthy lifestyle, I was a fashion model for 2 years. And from time to time I still go to the parties. But if I was still a model I would not be allowed to participate in fashion week in Madrid this year. Why you ask? Because they have banned models who have less than an 18 BMI.
Now I recognize that some models are too thin. But putting a number on what is considered normal and then stoning anyone who doesn't fit that is very frustrating. Here is what is being said by the organizer or fashion week in Madrid about women like me in reference to why Spain banned these women : "Clearly we don't want walking skeletons," Solana said.
So, it's ok to call me a skeleton or emaciated, but I shouldn't dare call someone fat right? We have an obesity problem in this country and yes eating disorders are there too but if we as a culture are so obsessed with "skinny" then why is there an obesity epidemic! I believe that people should take care of their bodies, and be at a weight that is deemed healthy by them and their doctor. Not a random number. Guess what? At the doctor's office, mine says that I'm in perfect health. He doesn't worry about my weight because I'm strong, have a kick ass immune system and all my levels are normal.
I have been too thin before. My senior year of college I was about 10 pounds less than I am now. It was because I wasn't eating. I was feeling stress due to graduation and relationship woes that left me uninterested in food. It was a very difficult time for me. And I undoubtedly was too thin. Want to know how I know that? I couldn't work out as intensely. I would get tired, my jeans hung off me and my bones were jutting out in a bad way. So, you see, I know what too thin is and what doesn't work for my body. BMI doesn't tell me that. I tell me that and so does my doctor.
Anyway, thin people usually don't get much sympathy when complaining that the world is down on them. Just trying to point out how crazy Spain's rule is. If you want to read Plosk's opinion on the matter, he posted a blog too. http://garyploski.com/thin-vs-fat/
Oh, and here is the article that bashes me and the way I look: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060916/ap_en_ot/spain_skinny_models
posted by Ali @ 7:44 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Mr A,
Despite my own personal feelings about how the world views the very thin, does this make sense to you: No one should be allowed to tell these designers who they can and can't put their clothes on for the shows. They could use a 400 pound woman and I could say that sets a terrible example. But besides that simply being my opinion, do I have the right to tell them they aren't allowed?! No. If that were the case, Eminen wouldn't be allowed to sing, and ann coulter wouldn't be allowed to speak. But there is a larger issue- the KKK can speak on whatever they want. I have the choice to listen or not. Maybe it's a bit of a stretch to compare the Klan to the fashion world but for me it comes down to freedoms. Where is the line on who is deemed a good role model and what isn't, and who is qualified to make that distinction- and should it even be made.
Quick and rambling thoughts:
Governmental regulation (in the States) on advertising is not new. Certain types of liquor advertisements were banned until recently. Certain ads and tv shows are not allowed to air until children were hopefully tucked in bed and away from the tv. Recently, the smoking industry suffered a setback in having to curtail the kidfriendly cartoon ads so kids would be less drawn to something that wasn't good for them. So, perhaps the question of whether or not a designer can be told who s/he can or cannot put his/her designs on is really not the question. (And certainly the designer is not restricted from selling, and thus in that way, putting his/her clothes onto anyone who wants to and can afford to purchase said clothes.) Maybe the questions are: Are runway shows the equivalent of paid advertisements? Are they taking place in public venues? If runway shows could legally be regulated, I'm not sure what organization it would fall to in the States. It would probably have to be a voluntary choice on the part of the fashion industry to regulate itself. But in terms of the freedoms you cite -- we do have systems for monitoring musicians and extremist groups. Rating systems for lyrics so (ideally) parents can be aware of what their children are listening to and start a dialogue with them about the ramifications of language. Groups that hope to have rallies, marches, etc., have to apply for permits. So to me, it isn't out of the realm of possibility, that there be some sort of system to monitor the highly influential industry of fashion. Ultimately, the fashion industry right now is part of the system that itself implicitly and surreptitiously regulates how people look and how people think about their looks. I don't pretend to know the ideal way in which citizens could take a more active part in subverting the industry's power. But I think that if the concern motivating such a move in Madrid is to look out for impressionable, young, teenage girls who are worked upon by numerous images and social forces - then that is a worthy concern. And that a more diverse representation on the runway could be a healthy step toward that.
Gotta love a blog that incites so much discussion and thought! Thanks for the jump start to my brain, Ali!
This seems to offer a balanced look at the issue: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/fashion/21MODELS.html?pagewanted=1&8dpc&_r=2
Post a Comment
<< Home