Guest Author - Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

Film and photography shoots regularly occur on Bowen Island, BC, because we’re surrounded by the ocean, mountains, and other islands. We also have numerous multi-million dollar homes (that’s the collective Bowen “we”, not the personal me and my husband “we”, unfortunately).

A friend told me of a week-long photography shoot at her home. The models and photographers stayed downtown Vancouver, and boated over to the island every morning. My friend’s husband had lunch with the male models, and asked them what it was like working with beautiful young women all day long. The guys shrugged and didn’t reply. The husband pursued it: “What do you think of those gorgeous models?”

“They’re too skinny,” the guys said. They all agreed that the girls they work with – almost always rail-thin – aren’t as attractive as those who are round and curvy. The girls they work with may look good in magazines and on the television runways (and that’s a matter of opinion), but in real life they’re just too skinny. Not fit, curvaceous, healthy, or even thin – just skinny.

The organizers of a fashion show in Madrid, Spain arrived at the same conclusion and banned “skinny” models (based on BMI), in favor of images of health and fitness on the runway. Other fashion aficionados are following suit in Edinburgh, Scotland…is this a trend that will continue on the big runways in Paris, London, and New York – or is this a little fashion fizzle?

The decision to ban too-thin models received some support: "The fashion industry's promotion of beauty as meaning stick-thin is damaging to young girls' self image and to their health," said British cabinet minister Tessa Jowell. "Young girls aspire to look like the catwalk models. When those models are unhealthily underweight it pressurizes girls to starve themselves to look the same."

But some models disagree: "I think it’s discrimination to ban underweight models. We are skinny, this is our work. There are lots of overweight people working in offices but I’m not going to say: “This girl is fat, she can’t work in an office," says 23-year-old Russian model Valentina Zelyaeva.

Is it discrimination not to allow skinny models to walk the runway? Can one compare it to not hiring someone because they’re too old, overweight, white – or a woman?

Regardless of how skinny, tall, beautiful, fair-skinned, or blue-eyed the female models are – they don’t cause poor body image or eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. Those self-esteem and control issues stem from much deeper, more ingrained problems – but constantly seeing these images of skinny beautiful perfection certainly don’t help us feel good about who we are!

The next time you feel insecure or unhappy about your weight, remember that your curves and shape make you a desirable woman. It’s unhealthy, unattractive, and unappealing to be too skinny – so enjoy the curves and shape you have!