Letter #1

April 24th, 2008
603 Stewart St., Suite 803, Seattle, WA 98101

To Whom It May Concern,

I am an 18-year old female attending Eckerd College. As a female, I have been truly moved by the efforts your association has made to try to inform the public about deadly, common eating disorders. Your website has helped me to further understand and conduct my research pertaining to the fashion industry, and the restrictions being enforced according to the weight of models.

In my research I have been informed about the countless number of young women being affected by the deadly eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. In particular, I learned about a 21-year-old model from Brazil named Ana Carolina Reston that died of Anorexia at a shocking 88 pounds. So far only Madrid has created positive change in the fashion industry. The Spanish Association of Fashion Designers has enforced a restriction against models that have a BMI of less than 18. In order to walk on the runway a model must meet these requirements.

Because of the unhealthy image the media creates as the standard for the way one should look, young girls are being placed under a great deal of pressure about the way they look. The stick-thin image of models has become beautiful and something that women should strive to look like. Therefore, young women are developing deadly eating disorders in order to look like their fashion model role models.

I believe that if models and young girls everywhere could attend one of your programs aiding in, “help, hope and healing” such as the NEDA conference, a positive change would occur within the fashion industry. Recently, I have signed up to receive “My NEDA” emails from your association. I would love to further my involvement and help women everywhere discover how beautiful they are naturally in any other way possible.

Sincerely,


Patricia Fairclough