Death In The Name Of Beauty

The fashion world was recently saddened by the tragic demise of Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston, only a few months after the death of Uruguayan model, Luisel Ramos. According to news reports, the 21-year-old model died of kidney malfunction and generalized infection that was caused by anorexia nervosa. In one television show where Ana Carolina’s mother was interviewed, Mrs. Macan (Macan being the real surname of Ana Carolina) reported that her daughter was pressured to refuse eating because some of her fellow models in Asia commented that she was still too fat. Thus, Ana Carolina was forced to undergo a deadly diet of only apples and tomatoes for several weeks. She was obsessed to lose weight because of her fear of not being hired for modeling engagements if she was not thin enough. After her death, the fashion industry implemented precautionary measures in response to the incident. Fashion show organizers in Madrid, London, and Milan refused to hire ultra-thin models and also required a specific body mass index among those that will be featured in the runway. According to these organizers, they want to exemplify an image of health and beauty among the viewers of the...