There was a story in the Independent yesterday about an independent inquiry which has recommended that girls under the age of 16 should be banned from the catwalks of fashion shows, and that measures should be introduced to protect older teenage models from eating disorders.
As an initial reaction, I would be inclined to agree that girls under the age of 16 shouldn’t take part in such fashion shows as there is a huge amount of pressure placed on them to be thin, to live an adult lifestyle before their time- be it by travelling the world while at work, or experiencing the wild lifestyle of the catwalk celebs before they even turn 18.
Nevertheless, I’m not quite sure if I agree that those under 16 should be ‘banned’ outright from modelling. After all, many young people realise their potential, and their career of choice from a very early age- from actors to sports stars, to politicians believe it or not! Who are we to insist that they cannot pursue that course if they so wish if they have the passion and the drive to succeed?
Ultimately, if those under 16 are allowed to model, then effective measures must be in place to educate them about all that is of consequence in following a career in the modelling industry, and the pressures that are placed upon them to succeed. We obviously need to place confidence in our young people, but they have to be aware of the dangers of developing eating disorders to conform to industry perceptions of them from the outset. I have blogged previously about this issue, and my concerns about the rise of eating disorders amongst young models, as well as the concern that they do not receive proper nutritional advice and support.
I think that instead of banning models under 16 outright, the policy I would advocate would be that nobody may model if they have a BMI of less than 18 as recommended by the World Health Organisation, so that there is a comprehensive strategy in place to address the issue across the board, and that younger models are not discriminated against. According to the Independent article, this new inquiry does not contain obligations for models to be over the 18 BMI mark, and the report states that this is in fact the case as the policy of weighing models has not been successful in other countries. This does not mean that it couldn’t be successful here, however.
Up until now, modelling companies have refused to embrace such measures, but it’s about time that there is a frank discussion between such companies, the government and Health bodies to reach a successful outcome. The full inquiry report will be released in September, and this coincides with London Fashion Week. As I see it, we need to act now on this matter, and not only discuss this matter when key fashion events take place year on year.
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Roedd stori yn yr Independent ddoe yn dangos bod arolygiad annibynol yn argymell y dylai merched o dan 16 oed cael eu banio rhag fod yn model ar ‘catwalks’ sioeau ffasiwn, a dylir cyflwyno mesurau er mwyn amddiffyn merched ifanc dros 16 rhag beryglon anhwylderau bwyta.
Fel ymateb uniongyrchol, rwy’n dueddol o gytuno na ddylai merched ifanc fod yn cymryd rhan mewn sioeau ffasiwn mawr rhyngwladol. Mae yna bwysau aruthrol yn cael eu rhoi ar ferched sy’n cymryd rhan I fod yn denau, ac mae nhw’n byw bywyd oedolyn ymhell cyn eu hamser- yn teithio’r Byd ac yn profi bywyd gwyllt y celeb ymhell cyn troi’n ddeunaw.
Dwi ddim yn sicr os mai ‘banio’ yw’r ateb I’r broblem hwn oherwydd mae nifer fawr o bobl ifanc yn darganfod yr hyn yr hoffent ei wneud fel gyrfa o oedran ifanc- boed yn actorion, neu yn y maes chwaraeon, neu gwleidyddiaeth hyd yn oed, a phwy ydym ni I gyfyngu ar y pasiwn a’r angerdd I fod yn lwyddiannus?
Er hynny, mae angen polisiau a chanllawiau cryf yn ei le er mwyn addysgu pobl ifanc sydd am ddilyn gyrfa modeli am yr hyn sydd o’u blaen, ac am y pwysau fydd arnynt I fod yn denau drwy’r amser. Mae angen I ni hybu hyder yn ein pobl ifanc, ond rhaid iddynt fod yn ymwybodol o’r peryglon o ddatblygu problemau bwyta o’r cychwyn cyntaf, hyd y gwela I. Rwyf wedi blogio o’r blaen am fy mhryderon ynghylch twf anhwylderau bwyta ymysg pobl ifanc sy’n dod yn rhan o’r sin modeli pan yn ifanc, a’r newyddion bod nifer o modeli ifanc wedi marw yn sgil diffyg maeth a fitaminau.
Yn lle cyfyngu ar oedran, efallai y fyddai’n syniad dweud na fedrir person modeli os ydyw eu BMI o dan y canran a amlinellwyd gan y Mudiad Iechyd Byd Eang ( sef 18. Rhwng 18.5 a 25 yw symbol o berson iach) er mwyn bod yna bolisi clir a chadarn nad sydd yn discrimineiddio o ran oedran, ond sydd yn cwmpasu canllawiau ar gyfer y sector yn gyffredinol. Yn ol yr erthygl yn yr Independent, doedd dim son o gwbl am gyfyngu modeli yn ol eu BMI, ac ymateb yr adroddiad oedd nad oedd polisi o bwyso modeli wedi gweithio mewn gwledydd eraill.
Hyd at nawr, mae cwmniau modeli wedi gwrthod gweithredu mesur o’r fath yn ogystal, ond mae’n hen bryd bod yna mwy o ddeialog rhwng y diwydiant, y Llywodraeth a chyrff iechyd er mwyn dirwyn y drafodaeth yma I ben yn llwyddiannus. Bydd yr adroddiad llawn yn cael ei gyhoeddi ym mis Medi, pan fydd Wythnos ffasiwn Llundain yn digwydd. Hyd y gwela I, mae angen gweithredu yn awr yn hytrach na bod materion o’r fath ond yn dod I’r golwg pan mae wythnos ffasiwn o broffil uchel yn digwydd.
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