The CFDA's crappy and self-serving guidelines

Here are the actual CFDA guidelines and my interpretation:

• Educate the industry to identify the early warning signs in an individual at risk of developing an eating disorder.

Let's host a couple of seminars about eating disorders so we don't actually have to do anything meaningful.

• Models who are identified as having an eating disorder should be required to seek professional help in order to continue modeling. And models who are receiving professional help for an eating disorder should not continue modeling without that professional’s approval.

Since we're not requiring any kind of health certification, we probably don't know who's got an eating disorder or not....So models, if you don't want to take any shit, don't tell us you're bulimic.....

• Develop workshops for the industry (including models and their families) on the nature of eating disorders, how they arise, how we identify and treat them, and complications if they are untreated.

Oh goody....More workshops!!! 

• Support the well-being of younger individuals by not hiring models under the age of sixteen for runway shows; not allowing models under the age of eighteen to work past midnight at fittings or shoots; and providing regular breaks and rest.

Young models can't work past midnight?  Awesome!!!  That'll give 'em more time to hang at Marquee and Bungalow 8....

• Supply healthy meals, snacks, and water backstage and at shoots and provide nutrition and fitness education.

Does chewing celery really burn up more calories than you take in????  Celery sticks, lots of celery sticks!!!

• Promote a healthy backstage environment by raising the awareness of the impact of smoking and tobacco-related disease among women, ensuring a smoke-free environment, and address underage drinking by prohibiting alcohol.

What the F*ck!?!?!?!  No smoking or drinking backstage????  You mean we actually have to comply with state and city regulations??  Make this a VOLUNTARY health initiative!!!

Of course, the CFDA "health initiatives" are voluntary and wimpy.  Getting 16 year old models in bed by midnight?  Gonna try!  Hungry backstage?  Carrot sticks instead of cigs.  You're a model with an eating disorder?  Maybe you should get help.  I can't wait to see the backstage photos from the next fashion week to see if the smoking and underage drinking have been curtailed.   Somehow, I doubt it.

The fashion industry isn't concerned with the health of the models, it is concerned with giving itself cover.  If they want meaningful guidelines, they can contact the Academy for Eating Disorders.