Fashion affects a lot on life styles of people, especially young women, and their body figure. The models are considered as the symbol for beauty, however, normal womens physique doesnt match with that. Often, celebrities follow the similar trends set by the fashion models, thus there are no other ideal models for young girls.

For the last few years, the ultra-thin a woman was, the more she attracted the crowd. This led considerable downbeat impact on young women and teen aged girls who were/are practicing unhygienic and intense forms for losing weight to get that scrawny body. Things from unhealthful starving, excessive exercising, weight loss pills, and even banned drugs have been utilized by the fashion models and their fans to attain slimmest body as possible. As a result, many of all ages have gotten in poor health, got hospitalized, and even some cases of death because of the side effects of being emaciated and scrawny. From a 16 year young to 60 year old woman, all females felt the extreme strain to be thin, and the fashion industry has been found as the main culprit for all this.

However, a ray of hope shined for the people who are looking for healthy bodies in fashion industry when Spain took the first step in last September banning skinny models with a body mass index of less than 18 Body Mass Index (BMI), a calculation doctors usually relate to learn obesity, and an index below 18.5 is considered underweight. The new criteria setting a bare minimum BMI and age, prohibiting half-starved and juvenile models, will expectantly led the females to healthy life, showing that they really don't have to be a ultra-thin to look stunning. The focus is now on health, not being scrawny. If this ignites evolution within the major fashion hubs who lead the fashion world, then we can hope that worlds women will feel that they certainly don't require getting sicken to beautiful.

The death of an anorexic Brazilian model has shaken up the fashion industry again. This led the Italian government to team up with the fashion players to encourage a "good physical shape of beauty."

Past year's catwalk was all about the talk of the unhealthy models. Initially the fashion fair Pasarela Cibeles then Madrid-Spain, decided to join the rat race to permit only models with a perfect Body Mass Index (BMI), now the Alta Moda Association and Italian Fashion Federation would shake hands with the Ministry of Sports and Youth of Italy for an 'Ethics code' on fashion ramp. This would strengthen the mass that is fighting against anorexia, which is unhealthy symptom amongst young females. The Italian Ethics code would conduct an enforced medical control for the models.

Newly Ethics code will lead the Italian countries to maximize the size measurements of their clothing range to (Italian) sizes 42 and 44. As per the daily Italian magazine, La Stampa, 60 percent of the Italian females wear size 40 and more. Similar percentages are flowed all EU region. Super thin models won't be permitted to show neither in Madrid, nor in Milan or Rome.


Few Facts

A normal BMI is 18.5 to 25, further this condition gets serious for the health of both men and women.

European citizens are getting bulkier, according to the European Commission, Brussels/ Belgium. The average weight of citizens also differs greatly from one country to another and seemed to be higher at present than before few years. It has been witnessed that the body mass index is lowest in the healthy people.

The body model has extensively distorted within the last 20 years, as the models are getting slimmer and slimmer.

Veterans depict that in Europe nearly one percent of girls and young women (from 12 to 25 years old) are considered anorexic.

In Spain, clothing retailers have to exhibit size 38 rather than 36 in fashion collection in show windows.

Emerging Trends for plus size clothing

The trend for plus size clothing is rapidly emerging in the US also, with 47 percent growth in the year 2005. It is anticipated that by this year, over 62 percent of females in the US will possibly enter the plus size category. In a move to cater this emerging market segment, fashion retailers such as Sears, Charming Shoppe, Kohls, Mervyn's, Wal-Mart have also added new product assortment in plus sizes in the past two years.

The rising market is anticipated to be worth 75 percent of the total plus size; maternity-wear and petite segment that is anticipated at $42.4 billion at present and is anticipated to rise by 38 percent year on year in the next five years.

It is expected that most fashion majors are likely to join bandwagon with Spain, Italy, Brazil, India and Israel, which are promoting health over looks. Now if only US, UK and France left, which are three of the 5 big fashion hot spots.


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