Size Zero Debate

philtaylor

I need some ideas, doing a debate on size zero. Have been given the tough task of defending size zero which I know will be hard. Can anyone think of a guest speaker that might actually come in and defend size zero.

KlondikePaddy

Mini Me from the Austin Powers Films-hes your man!!!!

Toto Wolfcastle

Ok, so obviously size zero is a dangerous size to be for most women, but some women are genuinelly that skinny. I'm an American size 2 (Size 6 in Ireland) and while I am skinny, I am not unhealthy, not would I be if I ever dropped to a size zero. It's just the way my body is built. I'm in my 20s so it's not because my body hasn't developed yet!!

Some women are meant to be a size zero, some are not.It's those whose body type is such that being a size zero is dangerous that you have to worry about. I think the size zero debate is generalised too much, as I said before, it's not always unhealthy, just depends on the person.

I also think it's strange that young models (up to 15/16) get criticised for being a size zero, even though at that age many of them have not fully developed yet and have the bodies of children. And while I don't agree with the pressures put on people to be that skinny, it is important the you don't generalise and say 'how can I defend size zero?' Rather, I think the question you are asking is 'How can I defend the wish of people to become and unhealthy size zero.'

As for a guest speaker to defend size zero, good luck. Most Irish people tend to look at anyone under a size ten as if they are dirt. It's the whole begrudger attitude we have!! If I'm told to eat more one more time I might actually hit someone. I eat more than my 17 stone boyfriend and I'm not going to apologise for the fact that I don't put on weight.

Whoa, rant over!!

ilovefashion

you could try to find people that are size zero and actually see if they are healthy. You could make points that skinny doesnt mean sick.Obviously as the previuos post says, some people are naturally very thin. I know thats not much but if i think of more ill let you know!

Dinxminx

I'm an irish size six as well and I'd just like to put forward the fact that on some people, like me, who are quite short, being a larger size would sort of be overweight.

If I were the average size ten for example, I would look chubby because I'm so short. Or at least I think so!!

brianthebard

Maybe you can talk about the way sizes have gone up in the past few decades? While the term size zero can sound shocking, women's clothes sizes have been changing gradually for years, so that a woman who is for instance a size 14 today would have been maybe 18 or more a number of years ago. Also clothes sizes change from company to company, I always hear women saying that they are different sizes in different shops.

Monkey61

Basically the entire size zero debate is generally centred around the idea that a woman is too stupid to make a decision for herself. By defending size zero you are defending a woman's right to make her own choices. It is important to defend the right to choose, because if that is taken away, what can possibly be left?

Blaming skinny women for the eating disorders of others is like blaming Michelle McManus for the British obesity problem. If people are allowed to be fat without ridicule, then people should equally, be allowed to be skinny.

If you are a model it is neccessary that you are skinny so that the type of clothes that you will be required to wear look good on you and how the designer intended. If somebody chooses to be a model, they accept that this is one of the conditions of the job. Nobody is forced to be a model. It is a choice.

Size zero (even the name has been chosen to be shocking) has arisen from a media frenzy and has been latched onto as an idea for selling magazines. Things like Heat, Now etc that ridicule Super Skinny Celebrities on their covers, usually follow up a few pages later by laughing at "flaws" of other celebrites and delightedly revelling in photograhs of those who have gained weight, got some cellulite etc. Thus it is silly to support the ideas of magazines who push these contradictory messages forward.

Women are not children who need to be protected and shielded from others who might coerce them into certain behaviours. If a person wants to be skinny, let them.

It is also important to make the distinction between being super skinny and having a serious eating disorder as the two do not neccessarily go hand in hand.

I apologise for ranting. This is an issue I feel very strongly about.

dame

You could look up experiments like the one Louise Redknapp did for television. Take them with a good dose of salt obviously, because they had to be made shocking/sensational enough for tv, but they basically took a very healthy, petite, naturally very skinny woman (UK size 6 I think?) and put her through a month of hell to turn her into a US size 0. Those are the kinds of things that will be brught up by your opposition so be prepared.

I think you'll find it quite hard to defend adult women (in their 20's) being size 0 though. As far as I can see, people like Louise Redknapp are as small as a fully-grown woman can really be while still being healthy. Having said that, yes, there are plenty of women who are naturally small-framed and very slim but they are in the minority. Being tiny only really becomes a problem if your body-type is naturally a more bulky build (I mean bones here, not fat).

panda100

I will defend the' size zero' side for you if you like! The whole size zero 'debate' has just been drummed up by the media whipping people into a hysteria for nothing.
Its a myth that people become anorexic because they want to look like the models on catwalks. Anorexia is not an issue of poor body image,its an issue about control.People become anorexic because they want to gain some control over their lives and not eating is for them a good way to do this.
Most episodes of anorexia start when the patients feel they have lost control of their lives for exmaple exam stress.This being most evident in the college going age group who make up a vast majority of anorexic victims.
So seeing size 6 models will not make someone want to loose weight cos for the majority fo anorexia victims its not an issue of wanting to look pretty and thin,its an issue of being in complete contol of at least one part of their lives.
Taken from pubmed “Anorexic young women tend to be popular with the opposite sex. They epitomize our cultural definitions of feminine: thin, passive, weak and eager to please. Oftentimes young women report that they are complimented on their appearance right up until they are admitted to hospitals for emergency feeding” . “Anorexics tend to be compliant, approval seeking, conflict avoiding, perfectionist, socially anxious, and obsessive/compulsive, with average or above-average intelligence”
Anorexia like suicde/depression etc isanother way of showing us that in todays society young people just dont feel in control of their lives and future anymore.

cas91

Intersting points there Panda!!
Yeah this is going slightly off topic but I heard that anorexic people are generally perfectionists, so if they want to lose weight there willing to do the real thing not just a few pounds...Thank God I'm no perfectionist so theres no danger for me..
But you could also mention this. As ridiculus as it sounds I beleive its quite true: The slimmer you are, the more fit you are and in turn will be healthier and happier. Ok so size 6 girls who do not choose to be that size, hence are naturally skinnny, are most often than not very energetic and fit. Also, the skinner you are the better alot of clothes look on you. As ridiculus and untrue as it sounds It actually is the case.
I actually do not agree with the points I have just made but they are true...if you get me??
Oh god im probably no help at all haah ! Good Luck though

Toto Wolfcastle

Monkey61 wrote: »

If people are allowed to be fat without ridicule, then people should equally, be allowed to be skinny.

I absolutely hate when clearly overweight women go on about how skinny I am, how I should eat something. They seem to think that I'm anorexic or something, when really I can just eat anything I want and not gain weight. (But of course you can never call an overweight person fat!! :rolleyes: Of course I never would anyway!)

cas91 wrote: »

Also, the skinner you are the better alot of clothes look on you. As ridiculus and untrue as it sounds It actually is the case.

I disagree, most clothes look crap on me!! I just started teaching and the stress of trying to find decent clothes that fit and look well was just too much!!

I am so glad to see that people realise that there are people out there who are naturally skinny. I have had so many negative comments about my size. It used to upset me, but now I just go on and on about how little exercise I do and how much I eat. And if people don't like that, I don't care. If you are going to hurt me by suggesting I have an eating disorder then I'm going to make you feel bad that you can't eat what you want without gaining weight!!
(God, I'm so mean)

OP, I think that the information in this thread is invaluable, it is clear that there is an acceptable size zero and a dangerous size zero...you could talk all night about that!!

Siogfinsceal

some people are naturally thin. I am a size 8 but as im short and small boned I would look awful if I was heavier. Should I gorge myself on food just so I don't upset the public? Ive often been smaller than I am now, on one occasion I lost weight as id had a tooth out and couldnt eat for 2 days. I eat several times a day (I eat more than my boyfriend who weights a hell of a lot more than me), and have a high metabolism


I do a good bit of excercise as I have a horse but still have to listen to the 'you must not eat much' or 'how are you so thin' comments. When most people I work with are at home sat on their arse watching tv i'm out out doing something - hardly a coincidence Im lighter than them!

what angers me the most about the whole size zero debate is the fear of calling someone fat or obese. The media and public have no problem falsely calling someone anorexic or labelling someone as size zero. Look at the stick Niole Rochie got for being too thin! Take Beth Ditto though and the media describe her as 'curvy' or 'volumptous'. Beth Ditto is obese but everyone is afraid to say it. Its not good and its not healthy. In fact Id imagine that shes just as unhealthy at her weight than Niolce Richie or Lindsay Lohan were when they were at their thinnest.

there are people who are naturally a size zero (asian women for example are usually v petitie) and then there are people who are naturally a bigger size and deliberately starve themselves down to a size zero. Theres a big difference between the two and its very upsetting for someone in category one to be labelled as someone in category 2!

Just to add - do these size zero haters take clothes size into account? They vary from shop to shop and brand to brand. Im usually a size 8 but have a size 6 top at home that I bought in ms selfridge. Its actually too big for me as I have skinny shoulders so ideally id need a size 4 in it....oh lord if I wear this top im a size zero...better go eat some pies before I upset the masses (its ok im not a size zero today - wearing a top of a different brand!)

Toto Wolfcastle

Siogfinsceal wrote: »

some people are naturally thin. I am a size 8 but as im short and small boned I would look awful if I was heavier. Should I gorge myself on food just so I don't upset the public? Ive often been smaller than I am now, on one occasion I lost weight as id had a tooth out and couldnt eat for 2 days. I eat several times a day (I eat more than my boyfriend who weights a hell of a lot more than me), and have a high metabolism


I do a good bit of excercise as I have a horse but still have to listen to the 'you must not eat much' or 'how are you so thin' comments. When most people I work with are at home sat on their arse watching tv i'm out out doing something - hardly a coincidence Im lighter than them!

what angers me the most about the whole size zero debate is the fear of calling someone fat or obese. The media and public have no problem falsely calling someone anorexic or labelling someone as size zero. Look at the stick Niole Rochie got for being too thin! Take Beth Ditto though and the media describe her as 'curvy' or 'volumptous'. Beth Ditto is obese but everyone is afraid to say it. Its not good and its not healthy. In fact Id imagine that shes just as unhealthy at her weight than Niolce Richie or Lindsay Lohan were when they were at their thinnest.

there are people who are naturally a size zero (asian women for example are usually v petitie) and then there are people who are naturally a bigger size and deliberately starve themselves down to a size zero. Theres a big difference between the two and its very upsetting for someone in category one to be labelled as someone in category 2!

Just to add - do these size zero haters take clothes size into account? They vary from shop to shop and brand to brand. Im usually a size 8 but have a size 6 top at home that I bought in ms selfridge. Its actually too big for me as I have skinny shoulders so ideally id need a size 4 in it....oh lord if I wear this top im a size zero...better go eat some pies before I upset the masses (its ok im not a size zero today - wearing a top of a different brand!)

I couldn't agree with you more!!!