Female body type

The British Association of Model Agents (AMA) says that female models should be around 34-24-34 in (86-60-86 cm) and at least 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) tall. The ideal measurements used to be 35-24-35 in (90-60-90 cm) which were the alleged measurements of Marilyn Monroe. However, today's fashion models tend to have measurements closer to the AMA recommended shape, although by no means all models have these exact statistics, and fashion houses may require other sizes for their models.

The unusually thin shape of fashion models has been criticized for allegedly warping girls' body image and encouraging eating disordersOrganizers of a fashion show in Madrid in September 2006 turned away models who were judged to be underweight by medical personnel who were on hand. In February 2007, six months after her sister, Luisel Ramos - also a model - died, Uruguayan model Eliana Ramos became the third international model to die of malnutrition in six months. The second victim was Ana Carolina Reston Luisel Ramos died of heart failure caused by anorexia nervosa just after stepping off the catwalk...