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“I REMEMBER looking at the last newspaper photo taken
of Karen Carpenter just before she died, and I thcught just

two things,’’ states New York model Chris Alt, sister of

international model Carol Alt. “I thought how lucky she
was to. be so thin when she died. And, I wondered how {
could. get to be that thin without actually dying.”

This is a quote from the
award-winning documentary ‘film,
The Famine Within, which was
shown at a. private screening in
Vancouver recently. .

Toronto film-maker Katherine
Gilday was here to promote her
movie which expresses the pro-
found negative effects of advertis-

ing and media on society’s image

of women,’ , .
The visually powerful film is 2

thoroughly researched ‘exploration _

of women’s complex and troubled

relationship with weight, food and

‘body. size.

4

Though it. deals
primarily ‘with eating disorders in-

‘eluding anorexia nervosa, .its gen- ~

eral purpose is to point out how
social : pressures: regarding beauty
affect all of us. ....,

Before. the: screening began, I
noticed the many attractive
‘women..in the: audience, and in
_‘particular,..a tall, - red-headed

model, with’ stunning features, who
sat in the front row.

‘Following —the film; several

= guests stood up to recount ‘their -

‘own struggle with the disease. One
of ‘the women with acute anorexia
nervosa: was:.a pale, sickly thin
(98- pound) redhead who sat in the

“front row.

1 was suddenly appalled by my
own perceptions of. beauty.:

“As. glamorous models
down a ramp, the film: begins: ‘It

is‘true that for the ’90s, the fash-

"Stands. five-foot 3%

ion” industry is. showing” a. new
shapelier’ woman with more
curves.. However, .in’ North
America, the average woman still
inches tall
‘and is 144 pounds.”’ : :

Obviously it can hardly matter

to most. women that a five-foot - ; h Ive
asrobics and.weight training into a

“10-inch model.is allowed to weigh
all of. five pounds: more than
“previously.
History is used to make a point.
In| 1954... the '. reigning .. Miss

- five-foot: eight in-.

ches and weighed 132 pounds, but
by 1980, the average weight for a
five- foot . eight- inch - contestant
was 117, poulids. sO

Twenty-five years ago, .the
average ‘model: weighed 8% tess
than the average. woman, and to-
day ‘the average model weighs
23% less than that weight, even
though the average woman is get-
ting heavier, | increasing the gap
between real women’s borties and
the beauty ideal.

Twiggy,’ the supermodel of the
"60s, had a profound effect on
women, causing mass anorexia
nervosa in North American and
European countries.

.No one. could fit into the
ultra-short, super-skinny  silhou-
ettes that Twiggy wore, or attain
her beanpole thin and flat-chested
shape, though Twiggy was natu-
rally, not anorexically, thin
herself.

Tne Famine “Within offers
survey results as evidence against
the plight of the beauty campaign.

‘It cites national studies that

‘confirm women are less happy

with their bodies than ever before,
and their weight is the most im-
portant component in how they
feel.

The morning ritual . weigh-in
often determines a woman's mood
for the rest of the day.

A large-scale survey of young

strut’

“women, in the

-FASHION STATEMENTS

found that
75% “considered themselves
overweight, ‘even though’ 45%
were actually. underweight.
Another survey showed that most
women would choose losing
weight: over all other options for
happiness,. even over success in
romance and career.

The film examines the new ton-
ed physique.

“U.S.

The fitness phenomenon is very’

important in the ’90s, ‘‘but too
often. it becomes merely another
weight-control device. Instead. of
striving. toward a better. sense of
strength and well-being, women

are trying to obtain 2 stereotyped -
‘look of fitness (showing outward,

- not inner results).’’

‘is the location of fat

Women were. interviewed’ who

~ work ‘out everyday, sometimes

twice a day with varying activities.
These women are striving to
transform themselves with

physique stripped. of any sign of
body fat and softness. They may
experience painful injuries, but
continue to push themselves.

In effect, The Famine Within
explains, they are using their body
as a battleground for their anx-
feties and. frustrations, because it
is one of the few things they feel
that they can control.

Society’s fear of fat was ques-

_ tioned. .

The major aversions to obesity
is the health risk it represents. It is
thought to. cause hypertension,
stroke and diabetes.

However, increasing evidence
reveals that most important factor.
not the
amount, and there is controversy
over any health risks of obesity.

In a major study, almost the
entire population of Norway was
followed over 10 years.

Astonishingly, tit women who -

lived the longest were 25 to 35%
over what is considered the ideal
weight, and even the fattest
women were at less risk of dying
than the women who were 10 to
20 pounds below ideal weight.

Similarly, in a 16-year country
survey researched later, it. was the
thinner people who died sooner
than the overweight population.

The Famine Within interviews
both male and female
psychologists, anthropologists and
therapists.

One psychiatrist cites that a
great percentage of North Ameri-

See Young page 20

TALL, SUPER-SLIM models reflect the ideal beauty which is unattainable for most

women.

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