There was a bit of writing about this a few months ago.

Essentially, modelling agencies were pointing out the fact that many 14 year-old girls are employed as models during a time when they can easily maintain the desired coat-hanger figure. Two years later, many of these girls finally completed puberty, only to realize they'll be out of a job, and back to being ordinary (and worse! "fat"!). That puts these girls at a higher risk to develop eating disorders just to remain as they were.

By waiting two years (which may not even be enough), the industry is also hoping to hire girls after they are physically mature, who are theoretically "thin enough" naturally, even as 'adults'.

I'm not sure it would work, but at least the thoughts are heading in the right direction.

Yes, by the looks of it obesity is a bigger problem. But binge eating disorder effects many people in the obese population, and it comes from the same place as anorexia or bulimia or ED-NOS: focusing on food not as a source of nutrients, but as an enemy. Focusing on a a body that's primarily for aesthetic appeal rather than on a body that can accomplish a lot.

Most people with eating disorders have binge eating disorder or ED-NOS. Very few can be accurately called "anorectics" or "bulimics." But I guarantee you all are overly concerned with their appearance, and one place this concern stems from is seeing young tiny girls strutting the catwalk or in a magazine airbrushed to all hell at the exclusion of all other sizes.

And again, you cannot tell by someone's weight whether they are healthy or not. Unless you give them a fitness test, blood tests, and take a look at their medical history, you'll never know. Weight is a poor indicator of health, no matter how "over" or "under" weight you are.

#1 - This type of law is just another bubble-wrap big-sister law the left loves to enforce on others whom they consider too stupid to make their own decisions (ot that their parents are too stupid). Doesn't help anyone. But it sure makes them feel good & self-satisfied.

#2 - Anorexia. Look around you. Do you really think anorexia is a big problem?? Jeebuz, there is an EPIDEMIC of OBESITY! Why don't you get all concerned about THAT?

No scientific study can detect anorexia ... It's a pyschological condition that presents physically, emotionally and psychologically, but not with strictly identifiable 'symptoms'.

I was anorexic for 12 years. ... I was 5'3 and my weight ranged from 75 - 92 lbs.

That's a scientifically measurable symptom of anorexia. 5'3" and 75lbs is way below normal weight and very likely unhealthy. Bone density is also a measurable symptom of nutritional definitely, as are many blood tests reflective of organ problems stemming from malnutrition. BMI is another measurable symptom.

So, yes anorexia most certainly is a scientifically measurable disease with "strictly identifiable symptoms."

If a person doesn't crave eating or has otherwise atypical psychologically, but is physically fit as a horse, with good bones, muscle, BMI, cardio, organs, etc, then they don't have a problem.

The notion that all fashion models represent "adult women" and therefore women are being infantilized by fashion is a common screed, though shallow and very flawed.

The age group with the most disposable income spent on fashion fads (as opposed to other more adult tastes) are not adult women, but teenage women. So a percentage of models who are teenagers is totally appropriate to the majority of fashion consumers.

The teenagers aren't usually modeling for other segments of the fashion world, such as evening gowns for the opera crowd.

Fashion trends tend to come from youth and exist in direct opposition to "adult" attire which includes business attire. As business attire is conservative and mature, "fashion" attire tends to be more impulsive, whimsical, and youthful. "Adult" clothes are for the work week, "fashion" is for the evenings and weekends, when adults get to play like teenagers. Many young adult women, especially those who consume fashion for a lifestyle, want to dress like teenagers and put on something youthful and "hip" when they go out.

Whether it's fashion for the beach or a night club, a youthful body is also desirable. People who buy expensive designer bathing suits and clubby hot pants don't tend to be your average overweight thirty something.

Fashion also sells fantasy. And I know plenty of people who would like to be physically younger and have the irresponsible lifestyle of a teenager, forever having the body of a young person and a lifetime of summer break. I know very few people who's like to be physically any older, or have more responsibilities. And those who do, aren't budgeting much for fashion.

Fashion is by nature very youthful, even adolescent, for the most part. It makes perfect sense there are some teenage models and there is nothing malevolent about it.

is not the problem. Models are objectified; that's what makes them models. In a picture, a fashion model might as well be furniture; nobody hires Jessica Stam because of her deep and abiding personal feelings about biofuels, or whatever. This is just a matter of figuring out how to make the objectification easier on the objects.

LOL! Dang, you're killin' me today RealName. This is just another in the seemingly endless series of "for the children" type initiatives where the folks pushing it are using concern for "the children" as a way to implement their social policies/views. If they all were over 16 and had BMIs of 18 or more, you'd still be hearing noise about how the evil fashion industry is bad for or responsible for blah, blah, blah....

...which models will develop at any age, what about the fact that as far as I've seen dressing rooms are a free-for-all, filled with people of all ages and orientations, and a lot of the outfits are more than sheer, they're transparent?

Are there existing laws that protect underage models from being seen/photographed naked? I believe art is protected, but porn is definitely not. Is fashion art or commerce?

To respond to some other posters, there are plenty of reasonable regulations on other professions. Prostitution is a no everywhere but NV. Stripping/porn 18+. The NFL and NBA have min ages over 18, and so on. Ostensibly these limits protect people from the potential harm of unregulated competition, i.e. they keep 14 yr old girls from make a killing in porn.