Tricks of the trade for ‘flawless’ women

It takes 20 people three hours to prepare a model for a Vogue shoot. A new video looks at the role flattering lights, makeup and post-production photo-shopping all play in creating a model woman.

EATING disorders affect an estimated 70 million individuals worldwide and while statistics specific to Ireland are limited, Bodywhys estimate that up to 200,000 Irish people may be affected, representing 80 deaths annually.

There is no single cause for this phenomenon and experts point to a range of factors from biological to family issues, but all note that the impact of the media’s obsession with thinness in Western culture is wholly unhelpful. A study undertaken by psychologists in Fiji in 1995, where ethnic adolescent girls were assessed before and after the introduction of television to the region, would corroborate this belief. After only three years of exposure to Western television, the popularity of dieting amongst the study subjects had risen from 0% to 69%, with 74% saying they now felt ‘too big’ or ‘fat’.