Should models be skinny?

Many girls feel pressurised to lose weight and look like super models. Recently there has been a lot of talk about whether underweight models should be allowed on the catwalk. In August 2006 a model, Luisel Ramos aged 22 died of heart failure after not eating for several days. In November it was then followed by the death of Ana Carolina Reston, a Brazilian model who suffered from the eating disorder anorexia.

Models who take part in fashion weeks in Milan and Madrid now have to show that they have a healthy BMI, Body Mass Index- which shows you are the right weight for your height. A group is being set up to encourage models to be healthy. Models in Italy, who are under weight and those who are under 16 are not allowed to take part in fashion shows.

The main concern is that skinny models are a bad influence on young people who worry about their weight. Organizers of London fashion week stated on Thursday they aren’t going to ban skinny models from the catwalk, although the designers have been asked to use healthy people in their shows. But in the end, I think we have to face facts and in the world there are loads of different people who are different shapes and sizes and the designers have to sell their products to suit all of these people.