Diets are an issue facing a lot of teenage girls and women today. With the spring bringing end of year social events and high school proms the pressure is more than ever.  Our society is one that has a very set idea of what is beautiful. There is one thing that every super model has in common, weight. Or lack of. One issue that is particularly high profile is the infamous ‘size zero’. There have been many reports on the deaths of these super skinny models. The over hanging question is has our quest for beauty gone too far? One of the first models to exhibit this ultra thin look was twiggy, nicknamed for her ‘twig-like’ arms, in the 1960’s. Ever since the ultimate aspiration for every wannabe model or young girl who just wants to look good in a dress is encouraged to meet the standard of the controversial  ‘size zero’. Studies have shown that becoming thin enough for size zero can cause headaches, insomnia, mood swings and permanent kidney damage.  With film stars like Lindsay Lohan and Hillary Duff shrinking at such an incredible rate it is hard to determine what actually is average weight in our day and age. Anorexia affects approximately 1 in 150 teenage girls in the UK alone. Sadly one in 5 of these cases of anorexia are fatal. Shockingly 2007 brought a new invention, size double zero. To quote from Banana Republic ‘the waist is equivalent to a small child’s football’ and that the size was designed for naturally petite women and not anorexics,.

 Knowing full well girls would try to diet to fit it. However one television experiment, where a woman was challenged to become a size zero revealed that the amount needed to consume for size zero is far less than recommended by nutritionists. If you search the popular website ‘you tube’ you will find videos posted by girls desperate to be size zero, titled under ‘thinspiration’. These haunting videos are part of a worryingly popular ‘Pro-Ana’ (pro-anorexia) movement. The videos and websites sporting ‘Pro-Ana’ show pictures of skeletal women and tips on how to lose weight, fast. Usually including forums and places to upload photos to show off your ‘hard work’.

So is dieting to a dangerous amount worth beauty? It is a personal decision but before you decide to embark on ‘the quest for size zero’ think to yourself, is it really worth endangering your life to achieve a fashion statement.

Written by Olivia Garner

Aged 16