Comments on: Body image gone bad

By: QoT

QoT — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:30:03 +0000

Life is really so much easier when you can just say, “But they’re just stupid! Clearly this absolves us of any responsibility to examine inground behaviours or societal mores/pressure!”

On the other hand, Steve, some of care about other people.

Captcha: “sitting exhibit”. Oh how I laugh!

By: killinginthenameof

killinginthenameof — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:39:38 +0000

But I still don’t understand the persistence of using underweight models by designers. It doesn’t make any sense. The girls look awful

Two parts to this. On the cat walk its not necessarily about looking good, a large part of it is having a strong stylised image, and shockingly thin is part of that. Designers also believe that waif thin models show the clothing better. The second part is advertising, generally a slightly different set of models, still extremely thin, but some times not quite as thin as the cat walk ones. Still way to thin to be presenting as a realistic body shape, no way near attainable for a large number of consumers.

(No hips/legs/chest which are the attractive bits, lets face it)

Underwear models are generally curved still if that’s any consolation

By: AndrewE

AndrewE — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:29:05 +0000

6’2″ at 76kg = a BMI of approx 21.5. That’s well in the normal range of 18.9 to 24.9.

Having said that BMI is not necessarily worth anything especially if you have above average muscle.

By: Joker

Joker — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:05:11 +0000

I think the horse racing industry is at fault as well.

I always wanted to be a Jockey but at 6ft 5′ and 105 kg I was told that I didnt fit their “idea” of the right body shape.

This has left me with a terrible self image problem and I cry myself to sleep most nights wishing that I was an immaciated midget.

By: Vanilla Eis

Vanilla Eis — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:04:20 +0000

I’m 189cm (6’2″), and had a bout of glandular fever last year that dropped me to 65kg. It was frightening. I’m now around 74kg or so, but still painfully thin. I hope I can push back up to the 80 or so I was at earlier, but it might pay to find out how much these guys earn first.

But I still don’t understand the persistence of using underweight models by designers. It doesn’t make any sense. The girls look awful (No hips/legs/chest… which are the attractive bits, lets face it) and I’m not exactly clamouring to look at myself in the mirror. My girlfriend wishes I had a bit more on the ribs as well. But yeah – what is with the thin obsession? It’s neither attractive nor healthy, but apparently it’s easier to make clothes look good on a skeleton?

By: killinginthenameof

killinginthenameof — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:39:33 +0000

You do realise how pervasive body image messages in advertising are don’t you?

Anorexically thin models on cat walks and in advertising have a highly polarising effect. Those who can (in cases this extreme its far more than a self control issue, its got a lot to do with the bodies physiology) attain them do so at a massive cost to thier health now, and in the future. While those who can’t don’t even bother trying, and are much much more likely to become overweight or obese.

By: Steve Withers

Steve Withers — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 08:19:18 +0000

This is like non-smokers trying to tell two-pack-a-day fools what’s good for them.

Not much we can do about people determined to be stupid beyond all reckoning. At least the emaciated fashionistas aren’t shooting anyone. Their calorie-free memes only infect the minds of the gullible and the willing and that portion of the mentally ill who need to slowly commit suicide by not eating.

There are so many more important things going on in the world than people obsessed with what they and others are wearing and who are too silly to eat properly.