discussion

FBaby

daisiegg wrote: »

To be honest, although of course there are people who look like that naturally I don't think there are a LOT of people. Just because a handful have commented on this thread saying they have daughters who are like that naturally doesn't mean it is common. I teach in a large all girls' school so every day I see 1500 girls from the age of 11 - 18 and there are very, very few who have that build. Lots of them are slim, of course (in fact, the vast majority - the 'obesity epidemic' is not very evident at my school for some reason) but not extremely thin, long limbed, 'thigh gap' skinny. Thinking of all the adult women I know I can't think of any who have that physique. My sister is a size 4 but her thighs still touch when her feet are together!

But of course that doesn't mean it is right to pick on those who DO have that build naturally! But I also don't think it is necessarily wrong to tell our children that SOME people with that build do starve themselves and SOME models are airbrushed. If our children are otherwise well guided that should not lead to them bullying others.

I totally agree with you, although I would say it is not that uncommon, at least not where I am (SE England). My daughter's best friend since reception class is built exactly like her (fun as her mum and I, as well as her dad and my daughter's dad are built nothing alike at all!)

My personal view is that as a whole, there has been a shift towards what is socially accepted as 'normal'. I don't think that a 15 yo average height and size 12-14 with a fat content above average to be normal. As we know, we put on weight and fat as we age, especially us women, so starting adulthood at that weight is not healthy in my view especially when it is the result of very bad eating habits.

Welshwoofs

There are women who are naturally skinny. What is worrying to me however are the women and girls who try desperately to get mould their bodies into shapes that their body was never designed to be in. The 'thigh gap' thing is a worrying trend because much of it is genetics...and yet there are young girls all over the world starving themselves to try to attain this. If you're in doubt of that, then I suggest you simply Google "Thigh gap before and after" and you'll see plenty of girls trying to attain what they see as this ideal where you could drive a mini through their thighs.

And when it really takes hold we start to get things like this....taken direct from a site supporting girls who want a bigger thigh gap:

FatVonD

Back onto the subject of models, I've worked with many over the years including week-long location shoots and they all ate like sparrows. The two that stick in my mind are one who went a whole 9 hour flight eating only a cheese triangle and another who passed on lunch but asked to be brought back a pot of raw chicken livers :eek: It was also a model who first told me of other models eating tissues to stave off their hunger pains.

Re photoshopping, yes, there is lots done in the men's mags but folk don't photoshop entire catalogues, there is no need to, if you want a skinny model you book a skinny model. It's only in the last few years that photoshopping has been brought in house and become part of the designer's job, before that retouching was a very expensive business.