Objective Sociocultural influences, including an increasing pressure for fashion models to maintain a thin body frame may be crucial in the development of eating disorders. The present study aimed to establish whether fashion models are more likely than non‐models to develop eating disorders. Methods Female fashion models were selected by snowball sampling (n = 179, mean age: 25.9 SD = 4.70 years). They were compared with an age adjusted control group (n = 261, mean age: 25.0 SD = 4.97 years). Participants completed an online questionnaire containing the Eating Disorder Inventory. Results The average BMI of the fashion models was in the underweight range (mean BMI = 18.1 SD = 1.68). The BMI of the control group was significantly higher (mean = 22.1 SD = 4.23, p < 0.001). The frequency of simulated anorexia nervosa was 3.9% among the fashion models and 1.1% in the control group (p = 0.057). 14.6% of the models showed subclinical anorexia nervosa symptoms versus 2.7% in the control group (p < 0.001). The ratio of bulimia nervosa and subclinical bulimia nervosa showed no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion Female fashion models showed no significant difference from the control group in the frequency of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa but had a significantly higher frequency of the subclinical form of anorexia nervosa.
Despite an overall increase in public health awareness, the prevalence of obesity remains epidemically high. Worldwide, over half a billion people are currently classified as obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30 kg/m 2 ), and it is estimated that over 40% of the U.S population will be obese by the year 2030 [1]. These statistics are of serious concern because of the recognized relationship between obesity and chronic disease, specifically cardiovascular disease (CVD) being the number one cause of death in the United States [2].Even in the absence of other cardiac related comorbidities, excess adipose tissue often induces dyslipidaemia, hypertension and glucose intolerance, all indicative of metabolic syndrome [3]. While each of these components is known to increase CVD risk independently, the combination of these markers and the presence of metabolic syndrome itself is associated with a significant long-term risk of CVD [4].Strong evidence suggests that healthy lifestyle habits can influence CVD risk factors [5]. For example, when observing more than 80,000 nurses, over 90% of diabetes mellitus cases, 57% of hypertension cases, and 40% of hypercholesterolemia cases were attributed to poor lifestyle factors [6]. Research has also showed that a combination of at least three low risk lifestyle factors and a BMI between 18.5-22.4 is associated with the lowest risk of CVD (0.37, 0.29 to 0.46) mortality, when compared with those with a BMI between 22.5-24.9 and none of the four low-risk lifestyle factors [7]. This emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and the prevention of clinical risk factor development, recognizing the value of primordial prevention.Primordial prevention is defined as the prevention of the risk factors themselves, before the individual is negatively affected by the symptoms [8]. This is often thought of as radical, especially in young patients who don't currently exhibit concerning biomarkers. Primordial prevention differs from primary prevention in that the emphasis is on early dietary and lifestyle modifications to prevent the risk factors in the first place. If these risk factors are proven to lead to the onset of disease, why would health providers not want to prevent them from occurring in the first place? This is especially true when considering the alarming long-term risk that the obese population faces for developing CVD despite a perceived low short-term risk [4].Currently, there are numerous risk prediction tools that include in their assessment clinical risk factors such as blood pressure, and blood lipids to estimate an individual's short term (i.e., 10-years) risk of CVD. For individuals with a high risk based on these factors, it is common practice to attempt to decrease risk pharmacologically [9]. However, individuals with a low short term risk but elevated long term risk may benefit from alternative methods of risk factor management. In addition, the fact that drug therapy is usually prescribed when short term risk is high (>7.5% over 10 years) has led to hypertens...
Összefoglaló. A divatiparra vonatkozó egészségvédelmi szabályozások hiányosak. A karcsúság elérését célzó szociokulturális nyomás a divatiparon belül fokozott, a divatmodelleket gyakran késztetik kórosan alacsony testsúly elérésére, ami pszichológiai abúzusnak felel meg. Ezért a modellek közt az evészavarok prevalenciája magasabb az átlagpopulációhoz képest. A divatvilág veszélyei között ezeken túl a szexuális abúzus, a financiális visszaélések, illetve a fiatalkorúak foglalkoztatásával kapcsolatos szabályozatlanság említendő. A kockázatok csökkentése érdekében fontos volna nemzetközi szabályozásokat bevezetni a divatszakmában. Az erre irányuló kezdeményezések először 2006-ban jelentek meg Spanyolországban: a modellek foglalkoztatásának feltétele volt az egészséges tápláltsági állapot alsó határától minimálisan elmaradó testtömegindex (18,0) elérése. Később Franciaországban az evészavarok gyakoriságának mérséklésére törvénybe foglalták a modellek kötelező egészségügyi vizsgálatát, illetve az utólagosan módosított divatfotók megjelölését. E szabályozások azonban könnyen kijátszhatók. A törvényhozás mellett különböző szervezetek alkottak olyan irányelveket, amelyek a modellek egészségvédelmét szolgálták. Ezek az iránymutatások elsősorban a biztonságos munkavégzésre, a fiatalkorúak foglalkoztatásának korlátozására és az emberi méltóság megtartására irányulnak. A divatszakmában előforduló feszültségek vezettek továbbá olyan nonprofit szervezetek megalakulásához, amelyek a modellek érdekvédelméért dolgoznak. A divatmodellek egészségvédelmét célzó jogi szabályozás a mai kultúrában domináns karcsúságideál megváltoztatását is szolgálná, mert a szociális tanulás révén a divatot követő átlagnépesség utánozza a modelleket. A divatmodellek egészségének védelme tehát népegészségügyi vonatkozással is bír. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(23): 905–910. Summary. The fashion industry is lacking sufficient health protective regulations. There is an increased sociocultural pressure to be thin. Fashion models are often forced to reach abnormally low body weight, which can be regarded as psychological abuse. This leads to a higher prevalence of eating disorders among models compared with the general population. Some of the other dangers associated with the fashion industry are sexual harassment, financial exploitation, and unregulated minor labour force. To reduce these risks, it is crucial to introduce international regulations in the fashion industry. The first initiative for such regulations took place in Spain in 2006 when the condition for models’ employment was for their body mass index (BMI) not to drop below 18.0, which is close to the low end of healthy BMI. Later in France, to decrease the prevalence of eating disorders, a legislation on compulsory medical examination for models was made. Also, retouching of photos had to be disclosed. Regulations like these, however, can easily be eluded. Different organisations implemented guidelines, such as establishing safe working conditions, limiting underage labour force, and maintaining dignity to protect models’ health. Tension within the fashion industry led to the formation of non-profit organisations seeking the protection of models’ interest. Regulations protecting models’ health in the fashion industry would encourage society to adjust its predominant ideal for thinness. Just as the general population tends to follow fashion trends portrayed by fashion models, so would they likely imitate the new look of models. Hence, the protection of models’ health goes beyond the fashion industry. It has public health implications as well. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(23): 905–910.
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