Madrid Fashion Week And Thin Models

We learned earlier in the week that the organisers of the Madrid Fashion Week ,the premier fashion event showcasing the best of Spanish fashion design have refused to let any super-thin model take part in the show.The matter revolves around what is accepted as a normal weight for a healthy individual.According to them any model with a less than 18 body mass index(BMI) should keep walking .....dont bother turn up.

BMI?The fashion world is not really known for being erudite or concerned about anything besides what colour is in this season or who the next supermodel is.So such high falluting terms like BMI must be news to most in the industry.Lets face it its news to most of us as well.BMI is the proportion of body weight to height .It is calculated by multiplying your height then divide that by your weight.The United Nations recommend a BMI 0f between 18.5 to 25.That means any individual with BMI below or above this range needs medical attention.Er er maybe not quite but more or less.

So models like Kate Moss would not qualify to appear in the show because her BMI is not up to 18.I remember seeing a caption on a t-shirt somewhere last summer that read`feed kate moss`.How quaint.

There are however serious issues attached to this seemingly trivial affair.One is the human right/discrimination issue.Banned models may argue that they are being unjustly discriminated against.Another is the health concerns.By making this move, the Madrid fashion Week even though seemed to be acting under pressure from the government have brought into focus health issues like bulimia,its causes and its perception among young people especially impressionable young females.

By banning super-thin models from the show they are telling the world that you do not have to be thin to the point of being unhealhty to be deemed beautiful.A lot of young people put their health at risk to look like the thin models they see strutting the catwalk.

I hear James Blunt singing `You are beautiful`.Now where is that scale.I hope my BMI is not over 25.Must stop visiting that buffet in Shepherds Bush.I know for sure its not under 18.5.Whats yours?