Victoria Beckham Bans Skinny Models and Anorexia
A New Celebrity Denim Line Cuts Out Size Zero & Extreme Weight Loss
Feb 1, 2007
Victoria Beckham has been blasted by the media and the public in the last couple of years for her extreme weight loss. She has been accused of having anorexia and for giving young girls an ideal body type that is unattainable without starving themselves.Journalists have had much fodder for their fire whenever she stepped into public in a revealing dress. The bones protruding from her skin were prominent and young girls all over the world took notice.
Pro Anorexia websites were the most excited, as they used her photos in their “Thinspiration” galleries, which motivated readers to keep starving themselves. Her image provided many thousands of girls with the okay to hold onto their anorexic behavior.
But it seems she wants to change her tune. Jumping on the recent bandwagon of banning underweight models in favor of a curvier alternative, she will ban size zero models for her new denim line.
Spain and Italy have both banned models who are under 16 years old and whose BMI is less than 18.5. The United States and London have not put out an outright ban, but have released guidelines for designers and agents. They include a 16-year-old minimum age, as well as encouragement to report models with eating disorders, provide healthy food backstage and schedule fittings during the day.
One of the models already hired by Victoria is Brazilian Daniella Sarahyba, who has measurements of 35-26-36. Still not the curviest of women, this is a step in the right direction.
Whether this is just a publicity ploy to quench the hunger of journalists for anorexia news from Victoria Beckham, or a genuine step to help change things in the fashion world, let’s hope other designers will follow suit.
She’s still just a contradiction, but at least she’s beginning to use her power for positive things. Let’s hope she continues to realize how much authority she has over so many young women and takes other positive steps.
