Do you know your BMI??

Spain has banned models with a Body Mass Index (BMI) under 18. If other nations follow, some of these ladies might be out of work pretty soon:

Esther Canadas, BMI reportedly 14:

Kate Moss, BMI 16.1:

Gisele Bundchen, BMI 16:

Naomi Campbell, BMI 16.5:

Do you know your BMI? Here's the formula:

[Weight in pounds divided by height in inches(squared)] times 703 = BMI

or just click here.

According to the Federal guidelines, all those models are underweight. I'm not sure how you can be a model and NOT have an eating disorder, but many models claim to be healthy eaters and just naturally skinny. Whatever.

My own BMI has gone from low "normal" to less than one point away from "overweight" over the last year or two.

To continue Heidi's post from yesterday - THAT'S why I hardly wear lingerie anymore - none of my stuff fits, and these days lingerie shopping is as high on my to-do list as bathing suit shopping and getting a root canal.

I don't want to see 5' 3", 135-pound women like me in lingerie. I can look in the mirror for that! I want something to aspire to! I love that picture of Kate Moss, even though I'll never, ever have such a flat stomach that my bathing suit HANGS over my pelvic bone like that.

If it were up to me, there would be a mix of shapes and sizes, just like the Dove Campaign. A BMI of 16 here, a BMI of 26 here - I like variety!

If it were up to you, what would you do about this model crisis?

Cheers, Lara

Comments

Meanwhile, BMI is the most rediculous and unreliable test of one's bodyfat, etc.

Maybe Europe ISN'T so advanced and ahead of everyone on All topics

I think that these models should have to put on a little bit of weight. They should look more normal. These women are the reason many teenagers suffer from eating disorders. They are constantly being shown what pretty women look like.

Not only that, the models should have to be within a certain range of BMI for their own health reasons. Otherwise they should not be allowed to model.

I think it's smart to crack down on the too-thin models. While you want something to aspire to, it's better to aspire to a healthy standard than an impossible standard.

But I agree, BMI is also a pretty lousy standard. There are olympic athletes that are the same height as me, weigh more because they are solid muscle and their BMI may be closer to the dreaded "overweight" range than mine, even if they are in better shape than I am.

Lara, you should TOTALLY be proud of your 5'3" 135lb bod! That was me pre-baby. Now I'm 5'3" 146lb and have recently decided that I can totally live with that (temporarily of course, can't wait to get back down to 135!) Just embrace your rockin' curves and who really cares as long as your significant other embraces those curves too (the latter ment more literally than figuratively). I try not to live up to anyone else's standards but my own; plus if I drop down a couple of dress sizes I will lose the larger boobies that I never have and won't look nearly as hot in the lingerie that I DO wear (to quasi-comment on Heidi's last blog).
Incidentally, my son is 5 months old so it's not like I haven't had time to lose the weight, just no motivation.

Dudettes:

Nothing wrong with a skinny chick with big boobs.

I'm not attacking anyone, but too often women let themselves go. Remember ladies, men are visual creatures. I know you do like it, but it is reality.

I think that there is healthy skinny, skinny that is natural and then there is unhealthy skinny. I don't see bony as attractive. But that's me. And according to my DF, most guys think women with some curves and meat is much more attractive. I have no desire to be stick thin...I'd rather see athletic looking models - still sporting some meat but quite fit. Now fitness and health...that's a look to aspire to!

And to add...perhaps what they ought to be concerned with is body fat percentage...under a certain amount is very unhealthy!! If they watched a models' body fat percentage, then they might be able to help them be in a healthy range.

Doony Dog - My husband would totally agree with you! His "ideal" woman is a thin chick with huge boobies and a small butt. However, I am a... um, average chick with small boobies and a ghetto bootay and he loves me just the same. AND finds me very attractive. So much so that our... ahem... love life is freakin' raging! It's not what you've got, it's how you choose to shake it! I don't wear provocative clothes, but because I THINK that I'm sexy and embrace that it makes me sexy no matter what I wear or how I'm built. That is a skill that every woman needs to learn.

Ooh! I so need to post that on Grrl Genius' latest blog!!!

I have to add to that that I'm also a firm believer that you do have to take care of yourself. I'm not so naive to think that I can just let myself go and still expect my husband to stay interested in me. If something were to happen that was beyond my control (baby weight, freak disfiguring accident) then I know that he will still love me and want to sleep with me. But if I just sit around all day eating fried chicken and bon bons watching tv and not doing anything then why should I expect him to want to participate in our relationship if I am not willing to participate in it?

If they crack down on the women with below 18 BMIs, then they need to be fair and make sure no plus sized models have a BMI over 25. No discrimination!!!!

Well said DBH!

i love the dove campaign!
it is real for real women

I'm lucky. I have gained 20 pounds of "marital bliss" two kids later and my husband still wants me.

Ahem. Well im glad that they're doing this, even though the BMI is not reliable, because they are considering eating disorders among girls to be an epidemic. I myself have struggled with anorexia and bulimia when I was in high school. I remember how I would put pictures of the most skinny and famous models around my room to help me not eat and to motivate me to purge. I still deal with it. I was trying to reach perfection, as most woman try to do, and it was killing me. Real woman dont look like that without going on diets(come on, you want to tell me that some of those girls havent dieted to be in the business)I know some of you wrote that it inspires you, well sorry to say that for most it only discourages and kills girls like myself. I just dont want to see more woman deal with what I had to go through. It was HELL.

i am 2 skinny 4 my age. i think i look fat but s that a crime? everyone a a negative image of themself sometime in their life, and i didnt go on a die. i might not be a model or something but i am telling you, i am WAY WAY WAYYYY 2 skiny 4 my age.

I just want to quickly defend thin women...

I have a bmi under 18. It's actually right around 17. BUT, I am a healthy, 27 y/o mother of two. I don't diet, but I don't eat junk and fast food either. I also don't work out (besides chasing the little ones around). I am naturally skinny and have been so my whole life.

As a thin woman, I am so tired of hearing "women should have curves" or "real women need to have some meat on them" or "stick thin is so unattractive". Why is it okay to gush about someone being too thin, but not too big? Why can we say "she's skin-and-bones, gross"? I would NEVER say "she is so fat, disgusting".

Can we just be who we are instead of having to conform to someone else's 'standards'? If someone is 'too' thin, or 'too big', who is it for ANYONE to say? How is it anyone else's business?

Of course, once your health is compromised (either way), it becomes a problem. But, I think it unfair to just assume something is "wrong" with these women because they are'nt "average"

i really wish i cpuld have this product. Right now in my teenage life i am struggling with the fact that i am not as thin as i want to be and i wish i could be as skinny as those models in the photograph. Please tell how the get some of or how to do something about my weight. I am 16 years old and weigh over 145 pounds and my doctor said that i am overweight and that it is unhealthy for me to wiegh that much.

I think they are too skinny, but on the other hand they are also - HOT!!!

my bmi is 36.8.....all i think is who really cares? if i compared myself to models before i started having children i say i looked a whole lot healther than they do now!!i am 26 and in the past ten years i have been pregnant12 times,had5 kids and am currently expecting twins in july!! my man says he likes me the way i am and that should be what counts!! i think it is always good to try to be healthy but people post models like this not for health but to make us all feel just awful about our figures! i say if you got curves flaunt them ladies cause "REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES!!"

Ummmm.... I don't have curves

I am naturally skinny. I eat pleanty but everyone thinks I have an eating disorder.

I do NOT have dellusions of being fat.

I HATE being skinny. Yet those with a problem with skinny people don't think twice before making these comments and it isn't right.

look at my website and you'll get it.

I am scared of people now since I was physically attacked by a gang who had a problem with "an anorexic walking loose" and you may not be in a gang but your comments still f ing hurt.

I know of a lady who was a healthy size 12 up until she contracted a disease which turned her allergic to most foods and has lost lots of weight. Now she lives off a pea and veg supplement. No treats, no sunday roasts.

How would it feel to a busy-body to discover this after asking her "are you proud to be looking like that?" in a smerky tone.

let me know what you think

www.naturalzero.com

:/ some of you people who have high bmi's RIGHT ON

dont let anyone condone you

i have a low bmi (16.5) and i like everyone the same

maybe its some of you low bmi people who think they are fat should do some thinking

Just because someone has a low body mass index does not me that they are necessarily too skinny or underweight. It really has to do with how you're proportioned too. I'm 5'2" and if I weighed more than 105lbs, I'd honestly look fat. I have an hour glass/coke bottle figure. Models DO NOT cause eating disorders, you fools. Anorexia and bulemia are DISEASES. You don't catch a disease from looking at the latest issue of Vogue.

How would you know if you are pregnant after only missing one period. I have not been this late before. Should I go buy a P test?
Pearl

I have to say that as a certified health education specialist BMI is the worst way to calculate ones body fat. I have patients who are body builders, weight 200 pounds pure muscle and are considered obese because of their height. On the contrary I have patients who are tall a little pudgy and are considered too thin.
It is hard to feel comfortable in your own skin when you are constantly being told you're not good enough. As a society we need to send the message that all shapes are beautiful.