British Study on Women’s Measurements

I have decided that there is not a chance on earth that I will ever look like a Barbie doll or have the body of a mannequin. Oh well, I am deciding that I must just embrace it and love myself for who I am. Another thing, it is amazing how much money is spent on some studies. Here is an interesting one.

Robert Preidt of the HealthDay Reporter found an interesting article that he wrote about recently. Ladies, we don’t have to worry about that mannequin figure anymore! They conclude through a study that the female versions of the store mannequins are sending us a message that eating disorders are OK. This was ascertained by a British team who assessed mannequins’ measurements at national fashion retailers in the United Kingdom.

The team found the average female mannequin body size was that of “extremely underweight human women”. The same was true for the male mannequins but of only a small percentage.

The mannequin’s body size used to advertise female fashion is unrealistic and would be considered medically unhealthy in humans. However, by designing mannequins with less emaciated physiques, it won’t solve the problem of eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia. But, it could be a positive step in the right direction.

The development of body image problems in young people is encouraged by the ultra-thin ideals and we need to change the environment to reduce emphasis on the value of extreme thinness, according to Eric Robinson with the Institute of Psychology, Health and Society at the University of Liverpool.

The ultra-thin female bodies are likely to reinforce inappropriate and unobtainable body ideals. We need to take measure to stop this type of reinforcement as a society. The rate of body-image problems and eating disorders in young people is highly worrisome, so by changing the mannequins’ dimensions it might be of particular benefit to children, adolescents and young female adults.

The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) report that some form of eating disorder is believed to affect 30 million Americans. The highest death risk of any psychiatric illness, according to ANAD, is eating disorders.
This particular study was published in the Journal of Eating Disorders.

Dr Fredda Branyon