Thin Model Issue (Part 1): Thesis research on models’ health

Skinny model debate. Underweight models. Models’ health. Thin model problem. Models and eating disorders. Models’ size. Malnourished models. Models’ weight issues. Size zero controversy.

Whatever you want to call it, this issue has been at the forefront of the fashion industry for some time now. Interest in the topic has fluctuated since November 2006 when the fashion world first learned of the death of model Ana Carolina Reston from an eating disorder, but the subject has never wained – media coverage on the topic has appeared each show season since then.

The blame game has been be played. Models, designers, editors, and agents have spoken up (or, in some cases, shut-up). Eating disorder organizations have made statements. And governments have even become involved.

The issue is this: do models commonly suffer from eating disorders? Though, it is often blended with a separate but related issue: do images of models cause eating disorders in others? For now, I will focus on the former.

One thing I’ve found sorely lacking throughout this debate about the health of models has been research evidence.

A little over a year ago I decided I wanted to get to the bottom of this issue. I completed a full-blown academic research study regarding the eating behaviour and self-esteem of fashion models as my honours thesis project through the University of Waterloo. It remains the largest academic study on this subject, and the only academic research to date that has studied Canadian professional fashion models.

I was very pleased and extremely fortunate to receive a lot of media attention for this research including articles in newspapers such as the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and National Post and appearances on Canada AM and CBC News. I’ve presented the findings in Washington, DC at the Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention and in Ottawa, ON at the Canadian Public Health Association Annual Conference. I’d like to share the findings of my research here on my blog. This is the first in a series of posts I’ll be making on the thin model issue. 

Here is a summary of my study:

PROJECT NAME

The Model and Undergraduate Self-Esteem Study (The MUSE Study)

THESIS TITLE

Unusually Attractive, Not Unusually Disordered; Fashion models have high self-esteem not high risk for disordered eating behaviour

HYPOTHESES

The study hypothesized that female models and female non-models will have similar rates of disordered eating behaviour, despite models being significantly thinner than non-models. It also hypothesized that models will have higher general self-esteem than non-models. It was predicted that non-models will believe that models have eating disorders at a higher rate than non-models, even though this will not be the case when their actual rates of disordered eating behaviour is compared.

METHODOLOGY

A total of 339 female models (professional fashion models) and female non-models (university students) participated in an anonymous online survey. Measures used in the online survey included the Eating Attitudes Test, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Appearance Self-Esteem Scale, Physical Appearance Comparison Scale, and the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire. All of these tests are frequently used, validated, and sound psychological assessment tools. Upon completion of the data collection, statistical analyses were performed. Using SPSS 15.0, t tests, chi square tests, analyses of covariance, and correlation analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Body size, eating behaviour, and health:

• models were significantly taller and weighed significantly less than non-models (average BMI of models was 17.4 compared to 22.7 for non-models)
• eating attitudes and disordered eating behaviour did not differ significantly between models and non-models
• smoking was significantly more frequent among models (18.2%) than non-models (3.3%) (Canadian national smoking rate is 19%)
• models had significantly higher general self-esteem than non-models
• models and non-models did not differ significantly on frequency or duration of exercise

Self-Esteem and Media Images:

• models and non-models did not differ significantly on appearance self-esteem
• models and non-models did not differ significantly on the tendency to compare one’s own appearance to that of others
• models and non-models did not differ significantly on the degree to which they reported being influenced by media images

Additional findings:

• 83% of non-models, compared to 38% of models, indicated that they felt models were more likely to have eating disorders than other women and girls
• 93% of models indicated that, overall, they felt modelling had a positive effect on them
• 74% of models did not have to lose weight to begin modelling
• 67% of models did not have to change their eating or exercise habits to start modelling

CONCLUSIONS

Results from this study suggest that, despite being significantly taller and weighing significantly less, fashion models do not have higher rates of disordered eating behaviour than their non-model peers; they do, however have higher general self-esteem. Contrary to popular stereotypes the findings suggest that the modelling population is not a high-risk group for eating disorders. These are significant, counter-conventional findings, particularly in the context of the ongoing “skinny model debate.” The assumption that thinness can be equated with eating disorders is unfounded and thus, a minimum BMI cut-off for models is not a measure that will ensure the health of models.

For the results of other studies on the eating habits and health of models, you’ll definitely want to read this.

The above information is a summary. For a full report, including statistical details, discussion of findings, limitations, and academic references, please contact me. You can read the press release here.

This research project would not have been possible without the support of others. Special thanks goes to: my thesis supervisor, Dr. Kelly Anthony; the Department of Health Studies at the University of Waterloo; Media Relations at the University of Waterloo; the Hallman Undergradute Research Fellowship in Health Promotion; the writers, reporters and editors who provided media coverage; and the students and models who participated in the study.