Many are not aware that we are in the middle of National Eating Disorders Week. (February 24-March 2nd), and the National Eating Disorders Association, or NEDA, co-hosted a panel at Pace University titled, “Inside the Imdeling Industry: A Conversation About Health and Beauty in Fashion.”

Featuring models by the likes of Crystal Renn, Amy Lemons, Katharine Schuette and former model, now assistant professor of sociology, Ashley Mears, they discussed personal stories about their struggles with body image and their weight in the industry.

Fashionista.com Model Amy Lemons remembers her agency encouraging her to eat only one rice cake a day and cutting that to half a rice cake when her body started changing at the age of 17! Crystal Renn publicly discussed her struggles with eating disorders in her book, Hungry. She spoke passionately about looking to Vogue to understand what her standards of beauty should be.

Renn suggested that designers should change the sample size to a size 8 to accomadate bodies between 6-10 or tailored to size 0 if the designer chooses to hire a thinner model. Renn explained that it was the industry who pressures the designers to keep their model sample sizes small. 

Furthermore, the conversation turned to the CFDA and their controversial “juice-cleanse” partnership with Organic Avenue during this past fashion week which offered models 50% off discount on the juice products. Many associated this partnership to encourage unhealthy diet lifestyles. CFDA CEO Steven Kolb shrugged allegations telling Fashionista.com, “Organic Avenue is well known in the fashion industry and we believe they are aligned with our message of beauty is health.” He insisted that they have “amazing salad, soups, wraps and tacos.”

However, with the amount of influence that the CFDA holds, do you think they have done all they could possibly do to ensure the impossible beauty standards are changed?

If you, or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, please visit NationalEatingDisorders.org or call 800.931.2237