Is a Healthy Body Image in the Plans?

Spring has sprung and summer is right around the corner.  It’s the time of year when magazines & morning shows (along with ads & commercials) convince us with a little tanning, waxing, nail care, and weight loss our bodies will be ready for sandals, swimsuits & sleeveless dresses.And just in time, the editors of one of the most popular fashion magazines decided it’s time for their models to look healthy & beautiful.  Vogue announced they are launching the Healthy Model Initiative in their June issue.  The Initiative states among other things that “Vogue will work with models who in their view, are healthy and help to promote a healthy body image.  They will not knowingly work with models who appear to have an eating disorder.”  The editors made 5 additional pledges having to do with such things as age, mentoring and working conditions.  The Initiative comes on the heels of the decision made by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to exclude models younger than 16 at this year’s New York Fashion Week.So will this initiative really have a positive impact on those working in the fashion industry in front of the cameras?  Is Vogue really interested in re-shaping the fashion industry’s standard of beauty?  Will these subtle changes on the pages of a popular fashion magazine translate to more young women (& men) having a healthy body image with fewer eating disorders?To witness the influence that fashion magazines have on our society one only needs to look around at the clothes, hairstyles & makeup being worn by the popular & not so popular.  It’s not only merchandise being sold in the magazines it’s the perception that those that grace the pages set a standard for beauty.It’s difficult to accept the sincerity of the pledged Initiative when Vogue’s editors that pledged the changes proposed in the Initiative are the same ones that set or followed the standards they are now agreeing to dismantle.  It makes one ask are they agreeing to the changes because they truly see a need for industry changes or is it because of pressure being applied by industry outsiders or can it be for the publicity?  By agreeing to the changes are they admitting at least partial responsibility for allowing these negative industry standards to perpetuate unrealistic goals?And does the Initiative go far enough?  There’s nothing in the pledges to reduce the amount of editing done to photographs – editing that shaves even more pounds and inches off of already thin models; erasing flaws that are only perceived and making it impossible for mere mortals to ever achieve the standard of beauty pictured on the glossy pages.If the Initiative pledged by the editors of Vogue was made sincerely then perhaps it will be possible to re-shape the fashion industry and relax our perceptions of beauty.  If the proposed changes can be achieved then the editors of Vogue need to get the other fashion magazines (Glamour, Allure) published by their parent company, Condé Nast International,  to follow the same guidelines.  If the changes aren’t made industry-wide how can they have the impact needed to heal a nation’s poor body image?If you struggle with maintaining a healthy body image and find yourself trying every quick weight loss scheme advertised why not let the registered dietitians at Sound Bites Nutrition help you.  Call or email us today.