I Don’t Support Starvation Diets

Until today, I always thought that Victoria Secret models were the healthier of the (modeling) bunch.

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Until today, I really hoped that it was true that thought that Victoria Secret Angels could eat what they want in moderation, workout, and on average, have a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Until today.

My co-worker sent me an article which proved all of the above to be wrong. I guess I should’ve known better.

In short, the article explains the eating and workout habits of Victoria Secret Angel, Adriana Lima.

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I’ll just give you the highlights of her “training” routine:

– She sees a nutritionist, who has measured her body’s muscle mass, fat ratio and levels of water retention.

– He prescribes protein shakes, vitamins and supplements to keep her energy levels up during this “training period.”

– She drinks one gallon of water a day.

– For nine days before the show she will drink only protein shakes – no solids. The concoctions include powdered egg.

– Two days before the show she will abstain from the gallon of water a day, and “just drink normally.”

– 12 hours before the show she will stop drinking entirely.

In a related article, it took the already controversial topic one step further, comparing the model’s training plan to that of a marathon training plan. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know any marathoners who would EVER run 26.2 miles on a liquid diet, and eventually with no water.

When my co-workers and I began talking about the article at work today, I couldn’t help but get upset. One of my (…male…) co-workers saw nothing wrong with the diet, and actually accused me of being “mean” for showing some disgust towards it. His argument was that it’s admirable for those girls to have such discipline to make their bodies look great– and…I didn’t speak to him for the rest of the day.

Perhaps the reason it affects me so much is because, last year, my sister suffered with an eating disorder. Though she ate solid food, she was eating food with very little calories. She was also working out, and she was losing weight fast. At one point, her resting heart rate was 40 BPM. That’s slow. According to her doctor, dangerously slow for an active teenage girl. So, my mom took her to an outpatient eating disorder clinic. Though her case was mild in comparison to the other kids at the clinic, those several months weren’t pretty. When a girl doesn’t have enough fat on her body, her hormones do funny things. This results in major mood swings, no period, hair loss, dry skin, and so on. Thankfully, my sister got help early on and is doing well today, but it’s something that my family will remember for a very long time. And that’s where my frustration sets in…

If my sister’s eating disorder consisted of working out once a day and eating solid foods, then what does that say about the models- who eat drink a liquid diet and workout twice a day? Although they may look beautiful and fit and “sexy” on the outside, we don’t know how they’re feeling on the inside.  For all we know, they are on their way to passing out as they walk down that runway. And that makes me sad.

I can’t blame them, but I do blame the industry. And that nutritionist who designed that crazy program. And our media and society- for making girls believe that the body of a Victoria’s Secret Angel is “ideal.”

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If an Angel has to starve herself to look like an Angel, then obviously it’s not natural.

I want you to read the full article and tell me what you think.

I am going to go eat some eggs. Scrambled. With cheese. Because if they’re not going to eat, I am.

Please, tell me what you think.

Am I overreacting?