U.K. fashion brand Topshop has yanked the photo above, of model Codie Young, from its website after advocacy groups complained that her rail-thin image could promote anorexia. Indeed, her gauntness, anemic complexion, and outsized shades make her look vampiric in the shot that was scrapped. The replacement (below) is an improvement—at least she seems marginally better fed as if she'd recently put the bite on some villagers. Anorexia expert Helen Davis asserts, "For girls who see these kinds of images it can be very damaging . . . Images like this are affecting young girls more than ever before." Topshop blames the photographer: "We do recognize that the angle this image has been shot at may accentuate Codie's proportions, making her head look bigger and her neck longer." Codie says she's just naturally skinny, not anorexic, adding, "I am very happy with my body and how I look because it's a part of who I am!" But what if her self-image is just a reflection of the fashion thin-dustry's warped sense of physical beauty? (Consider: The late Isabelle Caro might have taken one look at Codie Young and judged her repulsively fat.) Conversely, if Codie's content and truly healthy, does it really matter what anyone else—including well-meaning social advocates and snarky bloggers like me—have to say? Either way, it's food for thought.
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