Model Who Posed Nude For Anti-Anorexia Ad Dies At 28 Years

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Eating Disorders
Also Included In: Mental Health;  Psychology / Psychiatry;  Nutrition / Diet
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Isabelle Caro, a French model who posed naked for an anti-anorexia campaign died at the age of 28 after being treated for an acute respiratory illness. She died on November 17th after returning to France from a job in Tokyo, according to a friend, Vincent Bigler, a Swiss singer. In an announcement to journalists, Bigler added that he was not sure what the exact cause of death was. Caro's emaciated image shocked people during an Italian ad campaign aimed at highlighting the problems related to anorexia in the world of fashion and other parts of society. Caro was suffering from anorexia when she posed for the photograph and weighed 59 pounds (27 kilograms).

Anorexia Nervosa is a psychological disorder in which the patient has a distorted body image and an illogical fear of becoming/being fat, so they deliberately try to lose weight. The vast majority of sufferers are females, but men may also be sufferers.

According to DSM-IV-TR® Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association), a patient with Anorexia Nervosa: Weighs at least 15% less than their ideal weightHas a body mass index (BMI) of no more than 17.5Has missed three consecutive menstrual periodsIs over-preoccupied with weight and body shapeIs extremely fearful of gaining weightIn over ¾ of cases, Anorexia Nervosa starts when the patient is aged between 11 and 20 years. Approximately 6% of patients die, with half of all deaths resulting from suicide. Anorexia Nervosa has the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses.

Sufferers are typically perfectionists who set themselves unattainable targets. When those targets are not achieved, the patients start controlling parts of their life they are able to, such as their food intake and body weight. Experts say that an irrational fear of losing control generally results from low-self esteem and self-criticism. Many patients feel they have totally lost control after eating a minute amount of food. Caro's illness started when she was 13 years old.

Following the death of a Brazilian model from an eating disorder, Oliviero Toscani, an Italian photographer, created an advertising campaign for an Italian fashion company. Caro's nude picture appeared on billboards and newspapers - in the photograph her protruding bones and vertebrae were clearly visible. The ad's slogan read "No Anorexia".

Caro's photograph brought eating disorders into the limelight in Europe and North America. She spoke about her illness regularly and her efforts to get better. She explained how serious a menace anorexia was in the world of fashion.

Although the exact cause of death has not been revealed, Caro had been ill for a long time; she had been in and out of hospitals for several years.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
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posted by p mini on 1 Jan 2011 at 7:56 am

often articles give general info, not enough meat in the article.

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posted by Lola on 2 Jan 2011 at 12:35 am

Models, dancers, celebraties are still idolized for being extra thin. Even so called 'plus sized models' are pretty slender in comparison to average woman. Gay men want to be extra thin, too. Professional photographers of models and such, criticize the girls/women if they have a little bit of flesh. Being 5'11" or more and under 120 lbs - which is considered fat in some cases - is ridiculous. Having these girls pose in clothes that are size 4 or less is ridiculous, too. Why? Does it cost that much more to make clothes a bit larger? Are the professionals behind all of this so cheap? Where does this end? When more die of self starvation, drug addiction, etc. at young ages? Elementary school girls of normal weight are starving themselves because they think they're 'fat.' I guess we have to have more people who are 'famous' die before the group mentality of this starts to change, even if incrementally.

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