posted January 27, 2007 10:13 AM         

Italy adopts new rules on ultra-thin models

Women encouraged to embrace ‘healthy, sunny, generous, model of beauty’

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16240850/

ROME - Italy was once famed for the sultry, full-bodied beauties it contributed to the international scene. A month after the death of an anorexic Brazilian model, the Italian government teamed up with the fashion industry Friday to promote a “healthy, sunny, generous, Mediterranean model of beauty.”

The self-regulatory code of conduct aims to fight anorexia among women and the vogue for stick-thin models. It requires models to show medical proof they do not suffer from eating disorders, bans models younger than 16 and calls for a commitment to add larger sizes to fashion collections.

“There’s a line between a thin girl and a sick one that is often crossed. Italy, with this manifesto, is committed to recognize this boundary and not cross it,” Youth Policy and Sports Minister Giovanna Melandri told reporters.

The code was signed by Melandri and Mario Boselli, president of the Italian Fashion Chamber, which includes fashion houses like Versace, Prada and Missoni. It is aimed at designers, model agencies, makeup artists and others who work in fashion.

Boselli said he hoped the code could be adopted internationally.

Stefano Dominella, president of a lobby for Rome haute couture who also signed on to the code, said designers who do not comply will be subjected to sanctions, such as being assigned to less favorable times or days for their shows.

Calls to offices of major Italian designers seeking comment Friday evening went unanswered.

The world of high fashion and modeling has long been targeted by critics who say it encourages women and girls to emulate skinny models. The death last month of a 21-year-old Brazilian model helped increase the public’s awareness of the problem.

Ana Carolina Reston, who modeled in China, Turkey, Mexico and Japan, died Nov. 14 at a hospital in Sao Paulo. The 5-foot-8 inch model weighed 88 pounds at the time of her death.

Doctors and psychologists treating patients with anorexia nervosa, a disorder characterized by an abnormal fear of becoming obese, praised the new Italian code, saying it would help redefine beauty standards.

“One of the biggest risks is the input that we get from fashion, because a thin model becomes an icon to emulate,” said Simona Ciampoli, a psychotherapist who treats anorexics at a rehabilitation center in central Italy.

“The message that we get bombarded with is that you are important and successful as long as you are thin, but these women do not represent the real ones. The majority of normal and healthy women are not like that,” Ciampoli said.

posted January 27, 2007 10:42 AM         

I'm not saying they should promote obesity (both extremes are pretty bad) but there should be a healthy medium alteast.

posted January 27, 2007 11:06 AM         

I guess there's nothing wrong with being curvy again, but I always feel that I'm one plate of rice away from being...well...you know. My mom thinks I'm a poster child for body-dismorphic (sp?) disorder and she's probably right.

posted January 27, 2007 11:17 AM         

Let me show you someone:

She is a good friend of mines and winner of 2005's Miss Toronto Pagent . Look at the curves on her; She is totally beautiful.

Tyra Banks; I love her philosophy on healthy eating and food... but her antics kinda thow me off sometimes Lol!

posted January 27, 2007 12:47 PM         

Even those of us with healthy self-esteem can feel despair occasionally at the way men idealize/idolize such thinness and find it attractive. Wish there were more fellas around like you, Xodian

posted January 27, 2007 01:43 PM         

P.S. ur friend is gooorgeous!

quote:

---

The 5-foot-8 inch model weighed 88 pounds at the time of her death

---

THATS INSANE! Your body shuts down and starts to eat at itself...im 5 feet tall and about 98 if shes more than half a foot over me and weights 10 pounds less thats NUTS!

quote:

---

They look like as if THEY are the one's in need of dire UN help.

---

posted January 27, 2007 04:27 PM         

GASP!!!!!

OH MY GOSH!!!!!
That is traumatizing!!!

posted January 27, 2007 04:32 PM         

------------------
Sun in Libra
Moon in Cancer
Jupiter in Cancer
Venus in Virgo
Mars in Cancer
Ascendant in Cancer

posted January 27, 2007 05:36 PM         

I don't think banning skinny models on the runway in a couple of countries is going stop horrible, mean mothers from saying things to their young daughters like "God, you can't eat like that! You'll end up fat and no man's going want to marry you!"

I have issues with food myself, and it certainly doesn't stem from adoring models. I never looked at Vogue or Cosmo growing up. I was too much of a tomboy. But that didn't prevent me from getting mixed messages form my family. If I ate normally, I was "getting fat" and if I exercised or dieted I was being "anorexic." I couldn't win with my family. And it's still an issue for my today.

posted January 27, 2007 11:14 PM         

and personally i love janice dickinson, her show is my favourite, i absolutely love everything about her, and realistically, she is the epitome and product of the modeling industry itself and what it will always be. Hard, tough, abrasive, impatient, you name it. Designers aren't going to change about who or they want in a model, you {b]have[/b] to be thin, of course its unattractive to be sickly thin, but (one day when i used to want to model) my father told me that in the past model agencies and designers only wanted size 0 models, that was the ideal size, of course its boosted to maybe a 2 and 4, but that legacy of straight 0 will always be there, because thats how it started.

Besides, designers and agents are twice as sick and perverted in comparision to the circumstances these models are going through, the unfortunate ones. And remember, janice is old school, shes the very first supermodel, and she took paris by storm, so of course shes going to stick with the classic rule of thinness. What I think janice is pushing for, is, let me explain, theres a thin line between anorexia ----------- and a little too big, i think right in the middle of that line is what shes thinking of, as well as having a contoured body, meaning perfectly proportioned. So i'd definitely consider that.

------------------
Virgo Rising 8'57, Sagittarius Sun/4thH 3'26, Pisces Moon/6thH 8'22

"Our passions are not too strong, they are too weak. We are far too easily pleased." - C.S. Lewis