Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Forbidden Fruit


Anyone catch Ali Michael on The Today Show this morning? The soon to be 18 year old took to the podium to speak out about eating disorders in the modeling industry, along with Amy Astley of Teen Vogue, which is featuring a tell-all next month.

I have to admit, I am usually generally impressed by how smart young models are today, young people in general really. When I was 17, I hardly knew what I wanted to eat for lunch (no pun intended), much less articulate it.

Ali, who may now perhaps be using the more sophisticated moniker of Alexandra, or at least that was how her name appeared on the credits, is speaking out about her own experiences with the pressure to be ultra-thin as a model.

When she realized she had lost her period for a year, and her hair started falling out in clumps, she finally reckoned something was wrong. That was when she headed to a doctor and started working with a nutritionist. But after after gaining a healthy 5lbs, she was told in Paris that her legs were too fat to walk in shows. The girl is 5'9", and 105 lbs.

I guess The Today Show doesn't read WWD, because a former fashion editor who is embroiled in a public move to another magazine was quoted and credited her lost title. Not to take away from the gist of the story here, because the quote was spot on.

What does it mean when all these girls in fashion are held to unhealthy, unattainable ideals while the rest of America grows fat?

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