Brazilian fashion model Ana Carolina Reston died last week after an anorexia-related infection further ravaged her 5' 8" tall, 88lb body. The body so many had sought to photograph in luxurious clothing and promote to the world as an object of beauty. She was 21 years old. Her mother had pleaded with her daughter to eat more food.
Her death follows the one of Luisel Ramos of Uruguay. Ramos collapsed at a fashion show in Montevideo in August. Her official cause of death is listed as heart failure, but she had been subsisting for weeks on a diet described as "green leaves and diet Coke". She wasn't famous but had been told she would become a sensation if she'd only lose weight.
Women die every day because of their quest to live up to the unhealthy standards society places upon us. Girls are pressured into believing you can't be successful, loveable or happy unless you're wearing single digit clothing sizes. Eating disorders will continue to be a dangerous problem in society while we feature only gorgeous, thin actresses on television and in film. Every once in a while, you see an actress who looks like a real person, such as Chandra Wilson or Sara Ramirez (Drs. Bailey and Torres) on "Grey's Anatomy" but most of the time it is a size 2 to 4 beautiful woman playing the role.
It's time to teach our children what appropriate, healthy weights are and how being severely underweight is just as damaging as being obese.
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