Obsession is defined as: a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling. Too often women feel this about their bodies. Lately these feelings are being manifested in an extremely unhealthy way.
    Just a few years ago young girls looked up to the curves of actresses like Jennifer Lopez and Selma Hayek. Women with real bodies were idolized. Recently there seems to be a new acceptable body image coming to the surface. Now, stars that were once a normal, healthy weight are dropping to startlingly skinny proportions. Celebrities like Nicole Richie, Lindsay Lohan, and Keira Knightley are at extremely unhealthy weights. They are shedding pounds and becoming excessively skinny. Their bodies appear frail, unstable and bony. Yet somehow, this unhealthy body change is sweeping the nation. Girls are idolizing these unattainable bodies. Young women today are being held to an impossible standard. Their bodies already fall under constant scrutiny, and now they are being pushed beyond reasonable and healthy limits.
    Rest at ease, though, because things are starting to look up. In Madrid, the models were becoming so skinny that officials were forced to take action. Earlier this year, extremely skinny models were banned from runway shows during Madrid’s Fashion Week. Madrid’s regional government was afraid that these waif-like models were sending young girls in Spain the wrong message. A minimum body mass index (height to weight ratio) has been set at 18 for the models, after the Madrid regional government worked with a Spanish health organization to reach this standard. Any girl that is below this will not be able to walk the runway. She will also receive medical help if she has a BMI under 16. The Spanish daily ABC reported that this is the first time that any such restriction has been imposed on a fashion show. Almost one third of the women that showed up to model were turned away. The organizers want to, "help ensure public opinion does not associate fashion, and fashion shows in particular, with an increase in anorexia, a disease which, along with bulimia, is considered ... a mental and behavioral problem" (yahoonews). The implementation of an absolute minimum body weight is a step in the right direction but there is still a long way to go in repairing young women’s tarnished body images.
    A BMI of 25 is the average standard for being considered overweight. However, if this was true in the United States today, over half of the population would be considered overweight. The problem arises when young women begin dropping below a healthy BMI; anything under 18.5 is considered to be underweight. Anywhere between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal. Society unfortunately does not conform to these standards. Young women confronted with these images of extremely skinny stars would not feel normal at a BMI of 24.9.
    Trying to live up to this impossible standard is breaking girls down in every way. Reaching an unattainable weight becomes an unhealthy obsession for some girls, one that could end with them in the hospital. Little by little these images tear at a young girls self confidence and esteem. The pressure to be skinny lowers young women’s self esteem, increases stress and puts their health and general well-being in jeopardy.
    Women form their body images in a variety of ways. Family and peers play a large role in this formation. The media and the entertainment industry also have a huge influence. The way a young woman thinks about herself is directly related to the way in which she feels about her body. If a young woman’s self esteem is already low she can be very easily swayed into creating a negative body image. She will often hold herself up to the ideals that are seen in the media. Deborah Murray, Ohio University assistant professor of Food, Nutrition and Hospitality said, “I think comparisons can be very dangerous. There is a huge tendency to mimic one’s environment in the teens. This may push the teen to embark upon rigid dieting, thus increasing the chances of forced semi-starvation and perhaps eating disorders down the road.”
     Fortunately there is hope for women on the horizon. The recent weight limits imposed in Madrid show progress toward a healthier mind set. Murray explains, “This is a significant step in my opinion. The modeling industry seems to be responding in a positive manner. Since the industry drives the overall perception of weight and body fat, this could potentially turn the tide in a positive way.” The media will forever perpetuate stereotypes and influence the way women and men everywhere feel about themselves. However, stars with incredibly skinny bodies are negatively affecting young women more than ever. Small strides have been made; but the fight to regain a society that once again loves a woman for her beautiful curves and healthy body is far from over.