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AED Applauds Fashion Industry Leaders Who Challenge Unhealthy Images of Beauty

The Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), a global professional association committed to leadership in eating disorders research, education, treatment, and prevention, supports members of the fashion industry who have recently expressed opposition to practices that promote idealization of an unhealthy thin beauty ideal through the use of underweight models. At the same time, the AED decries the ongoing toxic messages the fashion industry sends to girls and women, boys and men around the world.

In the past few weeks there have been several wonderful examples of fashion industry professionals doing the right thing. Matan Uziel, Verbmodel's senior booker, Mark Fast, London fashion designer, Quebec’s fashion industry, and German fashion magazine Brigitte have all taken a stand against using emaciated models.

This same week, it was announced that Ralph Lauren fired model Filippa Hamilton in April for being “too fat” though her weight was quoted as being in the anorexic range. The brand then published an altered image of her that made her look freakishly thin. Also this week, news emerged that Ralph Lauren had also posted ads in Australia of model Valentina Zelyaeva, the images again altered to portray her as impossibly thin. Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has made public statements insulting the public for decrying the use of emaciated models.

“We will no longer tolerate behavior by fashion industry heads that leads to body dissatisfaction, illness, and even death,” says AED president Susan Paxton, PhD.

It is the academy’s hope that more members of the fashion industry will follow the examples below:

On October 11, Verbmodel's senior booker & Israeli entrepreneur Matan Uziel, founder of the advertising corporation Warmhome Media Group, announced at a press conference that he will not involve any models that are deemed too slim in his future marketing communications.

"Warmhome Media Group & Verbmodels have both adopted a new global guideline that will require that all their future communications should not use models or actors that are either excessively slim or promote 'unhealthy' slimness", says Uziel.

The editor-in-chief of Germany's bimonthly Brigitte told reporters that, starting next year, the magazine will feature a mix of prominent women and regular readers in photo spreads for everything from beauty to fashion to fitness.

"We will show women who have an identity—the 18-year-old student, the head of the board, the musician, the football player," Andreas Lebert says.

In late September, at London Fashion Week, Canadian designer Mark Fast used ladies U.S. size 8-10 on the catwalk. Some members of his staff resigned in protest, but Fast was glad he stuck to his vision. The knitwear designer wanted women to know they didn’t have to wear a size zero to wear a Mark Fast dress.

“Curvier women can look even better in them,” says his creative director Amanda May, according to the New York Daily News.

— Source: Academy for Eating Disorders