How Skinny is Too Skinny?

Over the weekend I was asked by OK Magazine to comment on the Miss. Universe Australia finalist Stephanie Naumoska. Her extremely thin physique has started a stir of controversy over the need for stricter regulations in beauty pageant application criteria. Although the contestant reports eating multiple times a day and denies having an eating disorder, with a BMI of just 15.1 malnutrition is a major concern.

In the past couple years, after several anorexia related deaths occurred in models the Spanish and Italy Associations of Fashion Designers have banned models with body mass indexes less than 18. And now the Australian Medical Association is encouraging the Miss Universe Pageant to enforce a similar rule for a minimum BMI= 20 for contestants.

There is concern not only for the health of the contestants themselves, but for the young girls that look up to them. Especially for girls that already suffer a poor body image, having such a role model may increase their likelihood of developing an eating disorder.