Anorexia Essay on Fashion Models

Eating Disorders: Why Are Fashion Models Susceptible to Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders are becoming a predominant topic of research studies, specially in Western cultures. In the usa, between 0. 3 and 0. 9% of the adolescent and young adult populations have anorexia nervosa, between 0. 5 and 0. 5% are clinically determined to have bulimia nervosa, and between 1 . six and 3. 5% are susceptible to binge eating disorders (Blodgett et al. ).

Relevant literature attributes the development of eating disorders to the following causative factors: sociocultural, psychological, and biological facets. The fashion industry, in particular, is basically influenced by sociocultural facets. Fashion models are prone to developing eating disorders primarily due to the fashion industry’s promotion of ideals of extreme thinness.

Indeed, fashion models have been reported to experience high levels of pressure to lose weight as a requisite for employment, which leads for their increased risk for developing eating disorders. In a qualitative study conducted by Pretti el al. which “investigated the prevalence of eating disorders in a small grouping of 55 fashion models born in Sardinia, Italy” (86), it was unearthed that these models had dramatically higher apparent symptoms of eating disorders and prevalence of partial syndromes of eating disorders. These findings were supported by the findings of the study conducted by Santonastaso et al., which investigated if the prevalence of eating disorders is higher among fashion models when compared with other female groups. Findings of their study indicate that fashion models are more in danger for partial eating disorders compared to females belonging to the general population.

Fashion models have reached an increased danger of developing eating disorders due to the ideal human anatomy image perpetuated by the style industry, which borders on extreme thinness. To secure employment, models are pressured to lose weight. For that reason fashion models are prone to developing eating disorders as a consequence of the necessity in the profession to steadfastly keep up a slim figure.

Works Cited

Blodgett Salafia, Elizabeth H et al. “Perceptions of what causes Eating Disorders: A Comparison of Individuals with and without Eating Disorders. ” Journal of Eating Disorders vol. 3 32. 15 Sep. 2015, doi: 10. 1186/s40337-015-0069-8.
Preti, Antonio, et al. “Eating Disorders among Professional Fashion Models. ” Psychiatry Research, vol. 159, 2008, pp. 86–94.
Santonastasso, Paolo, et al. “Are Fashion Models a Group at an increased risk for Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse? ” Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, vol. 71, no. 3, 2002, pp. 168–172.
Zancu, Simona Alexandra, and Violeta Enea. “Eating Disorders among Fashion Models: A Systematic Review of the Literature. ” Eating and Weight Disorders – Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, vol. 22, no. 3, 2016, pp. 395–405.