Three days after the death of anorexic high fashion model Ana Carolina Reston, those close to her are hoping the fashion industry will finally wake up to the dangers of the eating disorder.
According to medical reports, Reston, a 21-year-old Brazilian model, weighed only 88 pounds at the time of her death. Doctors at the hospital where Reston was pronounced dead said she “succumbed to a generalized infection caused by anorexia nervosa.”
Now, Reston’s family, friends and colleagues are going public with the hope that her death isn’t in vain. Today, Reston’s mother, Miriam, told a local Brazilian newspaper that she had pleaded with her 5-ft., 8-in. daughter to eat more. “She would say: ‘Mom, please don’t fight with me. There is nothing wrong with me, I’m fine.’ ”
But Reston’s mom is not the only parent speaking out. The mother of Reston’s 19-year-old model boyfriend, Bruno Setti, told local reporters: “Ana’s death should serve as a wake-up call to modeling agencies about the danger of anorexia. There’s nothing glamorous about an ending like hers.”
In addition, Reston’s cousin, Dani Grimaldi, told reporters that Ana Carolina also suffered from bulimia. “Fifteen minutes after eating she would lock herself in the bathroom and turn on the shower so no one could hear her vomiting,” he said.
Reston’s death comes on the heels of a recent controversial rule change in the fashion world. Two months ago, the organizers of Madrid Fashion Week banned models below a minimum body-mass index from the event’s shows after the death of another model. Twenty-two-year-old Luisel Ramos reportedly died from heart failure after weeks of consuming nothing but lettuce and diet drinks.
This isn’t the first time I have blogged about skinny models. My heart goes out to Reston’s family. I can’t imagine what it’s like to stand by and watch your loved one waste away before your very eyes. I applaud their efforts in trying to shed light on Reston’s condition in the hopes it will help others like her… and perhaps, spark a movement within the fashion industry to do more to help starving models.
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