Popular reality show Australia’s Next Top Model has come under fire for telling a skinny teenager she needs to shed weight. At 55kg, Melbourne’s Alison Boxer is underweight, according to the universally recognised Body Mass Index. But that’s not good enough for a guest mentor on the latest series of the Fox8 show. Alison, 16, said she was told to lose “centimetres from her thighs”. “It was a shock to the system to be told I needed to lose weight,” she said. “At home a lot of people say I’m too skinny. I was 50kg at one stage, which I thought was a bit scary. So I was coming from a place where people were telling me to gain weight, to now people saying I should lose weight.” Alison, the second-youngest of 16 contestants, said she was one of four girls told to lose weight just a week into filming of the catty TV competition. A Foxtel spokesperson confirmed Alison was told to shed a centimetre around her waist. But the Yarraville teen said she was told her hips and thighs were the real problem areas. “It was a bit of a shock as I’m so young and new to the world and to be told, no, your walk was bad and to lose weight in the first week was pretty full-on,” she said. “I have never tried to lose weight before, but since then I have been going to the gym twice a day and eating in proportion to try to lose the weight.” Eating Disorders Victoria spokeswoman Megan O’Connor slammed the show for promoting a poor body image among impressionable teenagers. “Most people would look at her and see a particularly attractive young woman, yet it is suggested she lose further weight, and it is not attainable,” Ms O’Connor said. “We would prefer the show to promote diversity of body shape rather than assume a model needs to look super skinny.” It is not the first time the Fox8 series has come under fire for encouraging vulnerable young girls to lose weight. The 2008 winner, Demelza Reveley, was initially mocked by mentor Jonathon Pease and judge Charlotte Dawson for her “fat” bottom and thighs. The latest series is being filmed in Sydney and will air on Fox8 in July. Article by Heraldsun.com.au This article was suggested to me by my friend Lauren.
About The Author
Patricia Colli, Editor of Beutiful Magazine, is a human rights activist, equality advocate, and promoter of health, acceptance and wellbeing. Having experienced disordered eating, unhealthy exercise patterns and poor body image, she is especially passionate about shedding light on eating disorders and the power of body acceptance.
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