Tyra Pens Open Letter as Vogue Bans Underweight Models

Says she'd now be considered too heavy if a modern-day teen model

Vogue magazine, and all it's international editions, recently announced their pledge to begin promoting healthy body images within their pages.

Their 6-point plan includes refusing to work with models who are under the age of 16, or who appear to have an eating disorder, asking casting directors to check IDs, and encouraging producers to have healthy food options backstage on shoots.

Supermodel Tyra Banks, who managed to rise to stardom both despite and because of her curves, wrote an open letter praising the major mag, but also calls on mothers to better educate their daughters on body image.

[ALSO READ: Tyra Fires Longtime Friends & 'ANTM' Judges]

She wrote on Daily Beast,

"...I would love for models to be protected by a guild. Even when I was a teen model, I didn’t think it was fair that I had to enter the acting world to get insurance. When I went to Paris after graduating high school, I saw a model who was 12 years old without any supervision. That wouldn’t happen in the acting world. There needs to be more industry-wide protections for models, and we need to be more consistent with what the acting world does: protect our minors, as well as the health and well-being of models.

...Many of you have graciously said that you want to have the same type of career that I’ve had. But the truth is that if I was just starting to model at age 17 in 2012, I could not have had the career that I did. I would’ve been considered too heavy. In my time, the average model’s size was a four or six. Today you are expected to be a size zero. When I started out, I didn’t know such a size even existed.

...To moms everywhere, we need to educate our girls not to fall prey to thinspirational images of beauty. So where do we start? By being very careful about how we talk about our own bodies in front of our daughters. We can show our daughters diverse images of beautiful women: curvy, tall, short, and everything in-between. Moms, you are the first and most influential role model in your girl’s life. Use that power. Teach her to love herself and everything that makes her unique.

...To young girls everywhere, it’s sad that our bodies go in and out of style, just like fashion trends. One season we’re supposed to be a zero, and the next you’re supposed to be a six. Then you’re supposed to have a six-pack, but wait, now you’re supposed to be juicy ... with a booty! It makes us feel crazy. Many of you are saying, “What the heck am i supposed to be?” Exactly who you are right now: that’s who you need to be."

Read in its entirety here.

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