Swedish modeling agencies are scouting and recruiting new talent outside Sweden's largest eating disorder clinic in Stockholm, its doctors have complained.
According to Anna-Maria af Sandeberg, the director and chief physician of the Stockholm Center for Eating Disorders, unscrupulous agents of many modeling agencies have approached many of their teenage patients, offering their modeling assignments.
"It sends the wrong signals when the girls are being treated for eating disorders," Anna-Maria told the Metro.
It's not known whether big, reputed modeling agencies carry out this practice but some agencies said this practice is common.
The incidents took place last year but came to light only recently when some employees of the clinic who spotted the modeling agents approach the patients, decided to contact the local media.
The clinic, which can house up to 1,700 patients, focuses on helping people who suffer from binge eating and anorexia.
According to the Local, some of the patients at the clinic have BMI or body mass index as low as 14. The BMI of a healthy adult woman is between 18.5 and 24.9.
The debate over use of anorexic, matchstick-thin or 'size zero' models have been raging on in several countries for several years. In Spain, it's illegal to hire models with BMI less than 18. In 2006, Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston died from a generalized infection caused by anorexia. She was 21. In 2010, Isabelle Caro, a French model died at the age of 28. She suffered from severe anorexia nervosa and before her death, was the face of 'No Anorexia' campaign. However, the use of super thin models still continue in the fashion world and recently, high street clothing firm River had used a 'size zero' model to launch a catalog for a new collection.
