Body Mass Index
Last September Madrid banned models with a Body Mass Index below 18 - calculate your BMI hereLondon Fashion week started yesterday and we are under pressure to do the same. Did you see the demonstrators with placards saying ‘I Y my curves.’?
Now, I’m not even a ‘Doctor Gillian type Doctor’ - but it seems to me that anorexia is unlikely to be brought on by a few pics of Mrs Beckham on a thin day.
I’ve known students with anorexia - it is the most awful frightening condition. Almost always it has deep rooted psychological origins. A mate’s mum used to be a cleaner at the ‘big house’ where she noticed that the daughter was ‘starving herself to death’. This was the thirties.
But back to BMI ..… What about the other end of the scale?
Curves are great (and wish I had some) but where is the line supposed to be drawn?
We know obesity is a killer - but it doesn’t prevent the BBC from going orgasmic because they’ve persuaded Dawn French to do another ‘Dibley’ on Christmas day. In fact Dawn, Fern Britton and Robbie Coltrane are national treasures.
I remember gulping in disgust when the lovely DS Penhaligon (Geraldine Somerville) had to get into bed with Cracker. She was beautifully naked and he still had his polo neck jumper on.
Don’t misunderstand me - I don’t want to ban fatties from the screen. I would hate to lose my lovely wonderful Eileen who is getting bigger and bigger. I regularly see her shopping in our local Sainsbury’s.
So - Kate Winslett, Patricia Hewitt, Tessa Jowell, Billie Piper etc - please encourage us to keep healthy but stop acting as body police.
Hope someone disagrees with me.
KAZ
posted by KAZ at 8:29 am
15 Comments:
My height is o.75 mtrs and I weigh 10 kg so my BMI is 17.8. But I'm a lean, mean fighting machine so there is a lot of Bakers talked about this.
Lady Beckham and Dawn French are equally unattractive so they have that in common.
At the rate my body is falling apart I need the FBI not the body police.
A complicated area... I'd like to disagree completely of course but don't really.
Stick thin role models help no-one and whilst they probably don't cause anorexia they can help screw up young girls. On the other hand an interesting point about the many seriously overwieght stars on out screens without any comment...and I suspect far more health damage occurs in the western world from obesity than under-eating.
Interesting.
Unlike the underweight Murph (though I think dogs may need a slightly modified BMI) I find both Posh and Dawn attractive...Posh for her money and Dawn for being a funny lady (sometimes).
Next time you see Eileen in the Sainsburys, can you ask her when the writers are gonna give her a good man?
I thought "stick thin models" was an instruction rather than a description.
It's the Nanny State I tell you, next thing they'll be forcing us to give up smoking in public places and what next I ask?
Murph: Glad to see you are a metric dog.
‘Lot of Bakers’ is a wonderful new phrase and we must start a campaign to introduce it into the BBC.
We could e mail Chris Evans - sounds appropriate somehow.
Dave: Body falling apart - I hope it was all worth it?
Nic: Quite right Nic - it’s a very complicated area with too many double standards.
You musn’t expect Murph to be a good judge of women. He’d love anyone who gave him a pork chop.
MJ: Any good men around and I want them.
But I’ll tell her to take the cream cakes out of her trolley.
Murph: If you saw a stick thin model I bet you’d run after her and bring her back. I’ll tell Posh to stay away from Norfolk.
Midnight: Yes: I'm a bit er 'petite' so I'm waiting for the day they tell me to use a special seat to drive my car.
People come in all shapes and sizes, so it's only reasonable for a variety to become well-known. And it's good to see the older woman in a starring role, too.
Vive la difference! Or even les differences!
I'm right slap-bang in the middle of 'OK' - but you could tell that just by looking at me. If you could see me.
But I do have a problem that you don't see any healthy-looking role models in mags aimed a teen and young women. At under 9 stone I'm still massive compared to all of them.
Stitch: True about people in all shapes and sizes - but, at present, the slim ones seem to be getting some unfair criticism.
I presume you mean the sublime Helen and the wondrous Judy.
What wonderful role models for us.
Hi Spin: Yes - er role models - well there’s er - you know her with the nice tits and then there’s …whatsername.
There must be someone - pass me that O.K. when you’ve finished.
I don't know my own BMI. I'm only vaguely certain of my shirt collar size and I still don't know what a scart lead does.
Variety is the spice of life? :S
Gary:
But do you know your arse from your elbow?
Hello Jingo:
I've just been over to visit - I love your blog.
It's certainly an odd one. The way I see it, at the moment, the media is up in arms about "size zero madness" or "see the fatties run" etc. Why isn't there a middle. And, if there is, what size does that make you?
I was reading a Jilly Cooper the other day (I know, the shame) and one of the heroines was described as being obese at 11st. God knows what that makes me!
Nutty: It seems to be the national obsession.
I'm a shortarse so I would be obese at 11 stone - but for a tallish woman it would be OK.
Post a Comment
<< Home