Some people feel models are too thin because they look anorexic. Models’ being too thin is bad because young people look up to fashion models as role models. The government think this may be affecting the mental health of the nation. Research has also shown that there could be a possible link between skinny models and eating disorders among young people in our society. As role models, fashion models are lowering the self-esteem of young girls. Most girls try and copy the image of models, therefore, if models are too thin, young girls feel they need to be the same shape and size as them. This is outrageous and is causing more of the nation to have eating disorders. Hilary Rowland, from ‘New Faces Free Magazine’ wrote an article titled ‘Obsessed With Thin: Has The Media Gone Too Far?’ Within this article she writes not just her opinion but opinions from actresses’ personal trainers and actresses themselves. She writes about the effect of models being too thin and how it affects other young girls and women. ‘Does anyone ever think about how the overload of these images in the media affects the average woman? Well, for most women it doesn’t exactly have a positive effect. In fact, the idea of the media’s (and consequently, everybody else’s) “ideal” woman often makes “normal” woman self-conscious — even if they have nothing to be self-conscious about.’  I totally agree with this statement. Models and actresses being too thin puts pressure on young girls and women.  She also writes about the affects on the model’s health and the risks and danger they are putting themselves into. She writes ‘These days, it seems as though not only during the summer months, but year-round, the newsstands are displaying magazines of which almost every issue has a thin, beautifully airbrushed swimsuit model on its cover. Your television is showing more and more unhealthily thin actresses. Bones are jutting out and implants are taking the place of real breasts. Most of these supermodels and actresses are so unnaturally thin that they risk infertility, osteoporosis and, ultimately, kidney damage.’ I think this statement is one hundred per cent true. Being able to see bones sticking out is defiantly not attractive. I think it is healthier to have a bit of extra fat as appose to just skin and bone.

Through history the ‘ideal’ size for women has changed. Just a few years ago the ‘ideal’ size was between a size 10 and 14 depending on their shape, height and build. However, because models have to ‘watch’ their diet. The ‘ideal’ size of women has changed to a 6 to a 10. What most do not understand is that everyone has a different shape and builds leading them to wear different sizes. It is this misunderstanding that leads to eating disorders. Size 6 is seen as an ‘ideal’ size because women who are this size look super slim and skinny.

Being too thin is just as bad as being overweight, if not worse. Being too thin and not eating a healthy amount of food shrinks the stomach. It also means the body’s energy level is very low. This would result to looking ill physically. On the other hand, when over weight your body uses your extra fats and sugar to make energy. More than half of girls questioned between the age of 12 and 15 said their appearance is the biggest concern in their lives.

In conclusion I think the government defiantly needs to get involved with these issues because unless a rule for models contracts are changed legally then nothing will actually help this situation. I think they should make a rule against models being too thin, I think they need to make a minimum size for models and make a rule on their contracts that they stay no thinner then their ideal size for their body shape and build. It needs to be sorted now, and fast! The consequences for this issue are horrible; no-one deserves to die from anorexia or any other health illnesses. I think because of state this problem has reached the government need to take responsibility and take control.  The media need to realise the damage they are causing, the pressure they put on to models. They need to stop noising into their lives and stop writing articles about what they eat and how much weight they put on. I feel the media are to blame for models being too thin.