Underweight in the fashion industry – a neglected health issue
Body weight plays an important role in the health balance of every individual. Not being over- or underweight may contribute to an active and happy life style, benefiting from personal energy resources and not being constrained by overproportional masses.
There are several ways to measure and define “normal” in this context. One of the most widely spread methods is the calculation of a body-mass-index (BMI), by involving body mass in kilograms (m) and body height in meters squared (l?):BMI = m/l?
Healthy category has been declared to range from 18.5-25, framed by under- and overweight categories. The method can be improved by also measuring the percentage of body fat, especially in comparison to the percentage of muscles.
The problem of obesity is one of the most discussed social and medical topics of our time. Mostly caused by the change of our society to a convenience and service generation, people drive to work, stay there in a sitting position and after finished relax on the couch for the rest of the day. The addictive taste of fast food in all variations adds to the issue and leads to cardiovascular diseases which make up the highest mortality in the western civilization.
Like in many concerns the fashion industry represents a completely different microcosm. Underweight is common in models to comply with the self-conception of the business, that beauty is causally related to thinness, which is ironic because opinion surveys disprove this belief. In contrary to the disadvantages of obesity, those of underweight are mainly unknown. Beyond others, deregulation of hormonal events diminish fertility, reduction of bone turnover and repair evokes osteoporosis and a constant lack of energy for the brain metabolism causes partly irreversible damage to the central nervous system, noticed by a change of behavior, feelings and thoughts. Of course all these risks are even more severe in growing teenagers, who are nowadays a significant part of the business. In addition to this, scientific research has shown a peak incidence of alcohol and substance misuse in models, creating a problem for the general public and for themselves.
Clarification and distribution of facts concerning underweight as well as age and weight regulations should therefore be established on a general basis to participate in the fashion industry and to protect models and consumers from this unhealthy affection.
By Dr. Hendryk Vieweg and Dijana Zeravica
