Size Zero Debate

The more I study Psychology the more ridiculous the size zero debate seems. It is like blaming Emo culture for an increase in depression or self harm. Let me explain...

People are blaming the media and the thin models of the fashion world for young girls desiring to be thinner, therefore causing eating disorders. What these people don't seem to understand is that most causes of Anorexia or Bulimia Nervosa are more likely to be biological or psychodynamic rather than as a result of learned conditioning, due to seeing these so called 'perfect' images of models.

It seems to me that blaming the media is an easy scape goat for the family and friends of those suffering from eating disorders because it is easier to blame the fashion industry than to accept that the real cause of the problem may have actually been biological or as a result of the childs environment growing up. Environmental causes most likely to trigger such illnesses are events in the persons life rather than as a result of exposure to an obsession with size zero in the media.

I am not saying that this 'perfect' image portrayed in the media does not have any effect because it quiet obviously does, but would it really be worth getting rid of all of this in the media, as France did, blocking images of thin models on the internet? Would it really make that much difference in saving lifes?

The fashion industry doesn't promote eating disorders anyway, it promotes healthy eating and taking good care of ones self. Just because the models used are thin does not mean that to be 'thin is in'; they are merely used because they make the clothes look visually better, to increase sales, purely from a business perspective. Many models do not have eating disorders and are naturally a smaller size than the average person to start with; they are genetically abnormal. They may diet, but then research has shown that up to 70% of women in the UK are on a diet at one time, so why should this be any different for models. A myth it seems has been created to say all models are suffering from eating disorders. Its more likely that this myth is promoting eating disorders amoungst young people rather than the actual image of these women and men.

What should really be being done is promoting healthy eating and excercise, instead of pointing the finger and making up stories because it is not helping anyone. In addition, people seem to be so concentrated on size zero they forget about those who are obese and overweight. Around 45% of people in the UK are overweight and a further 22% are obese. Surely this poses a much larger health problem than the 4% of people suffering from eating disorders. Either way, the promotion of healthy eating is the way to tackle both health problems, so lets stop making a song and dance and actually do something about it.