Sisters' Deaths Fuel Thin Model Debate

(AP)  Two sisters, both models, have died of apparent heart attacks within months of each other in a family tragedy, as the fashion world debates how to protect the health of painfully thin runway models.

Eliana Ramos, 18, was found dead at her grandparents' home in the Uruguayan capital on Tuesday, authorities said. Her sister Luisel, 22, died shortly after stepping down from a runway last Aug. 2 during a fashion show here.

While no medical report was immediately released after the latest death, Judge Roberto Timbal told the respected online news outlet Observa that Eliana Ramos died of a heart attack. An autopsy on Luisel found that she also died of a heart attack.

The judge told Observa that "nothing out of the ordinary" appeared to be involved in the death, but that an autopsy was conducted on his orders and that final test results would be made available in a month. Fellow models said that neither sister suffered from an eating disorder.

However, the girls' deaths at such young ages prompted widespread media attention in Latin America, where the fashion industry's treatment of young women has been the subject of a lively debate since anorexia was blamed for the deaths of 21-year-old model Ana Carolina Reston and three other Brazilian women in December.

The father of the two women, Luis Ramos, is a former soccer player for Uruguayan squad Nacional from the 1960s, and reportedly was vacationing with his wife elsewhere in the country at the time of Eliana Ramos' death.

One model who shared the runway with Eliana Ramos, Lucia Brocal, dismissed speculation that poor eating habits had anything to do with her death.

"I'm indignant," she said of some local reports speculating on her death. "She died for the same reasons her sister did."

Erika Fallen, another model, also rejected any speculation that an eating disorder could have played a role.

"Whenever something happens, they try to relate it to eating problems. But she died just like her sister did," Fallen said.

[brownignds]

I don't understand why people get into such hype about being too thin. I also think people ignore the fact that anorexia also affects men. I am male, 24, 5'10" and weigh 125 pounds and have been as low as 115. That's like a really low BMI. My point is this; fashion has always worshipped thin; some people, including myself, like being thin and we may be obsessed, but it is no different than someone being fat or addicted to cigarettes, and yet noone seems to worry about "young girls" seeing fat people or adults smoking now do they!? They are only picking on fashion right now. Perhaps the little girls (don't forget boys!), are developing eating disorders not bc they have seen thin models on TV, but rather fat adults that they don't want to become!

[choney2]

I think that the magazines, television, cable stations all around the world. Should except some of the blame, for making girls feel that they have to be thin.The people that they focus on are thin and beautiful, they act as if a women who wears a size 12 should kill her self. They they showed more pictures of happy normal sized women.It would help to change the view point of our society.Someone like Jenneifer Hudson is pictured as being rare. A large women and a success, instead of her being the norm. Their are more woman wearing a size 10 and up, then 5'11 and wearing a size 2.Stop making girls feel like they are not beautiful if they don't look like Paris(to thin) Hilton!

[michellem99-2009]

I am an older lady. I do feel that it not healthy to be too thin and or over weight. When I was young I could not gain weight and was thin. Now in my 50s I whigh 130. I am not fat. I feel that modeling world need to wake up to the fact we come in all sizes. The thin models send mixed messages to young girls. It is true that fat ladies do get made fun of as do thin ladies. The young ladies will do what ever it takes to be so thin and they look awful. Maybe these 2 sisters who died will reach others who are dying to be too thin. Their bodies couldn't handle it. I feel young ladies should be happy with the body they have. Men are to blame too, We change as we age. Like it or not that's the way it is. The press is also the blame. What I mean by they look awful is skin and bones, they should be more healthy.

[michellem99-2009]

I am an older lady. I do feel that it not healthy to be too thin and or over weight. When I was young I could not gain weight and was thin. Now in my 50s I whigh 130. I am not fat. I feel that modeling world need to wake up to the fact we come in all sizes. The thin models send mixed messages to young girls. It is true that fat ladies do get made fun of as do thin ladies. The young ladies will do what ever it takes to be so thin and they look awful. Maybe these 2 sisters who died will reach others who are dying to be too thin. Their bodies couldn't handle it. I feel young ladies should be happy with the body they have. Men are to blame too, We change as we age. Like it or not that's the way it is. The press is also the blame. What I mean by they look awful is skin and bones, they should be more healthy.

[michellem99-2009]

I am an older lady. I do feel that it not healthy to be too thin and or over weight. When I was young I could not gain weight and was thin. Now in my 50s I whigh 130. I am not fat. I feel that modeling world need to wake up to the fact we come in all sizes. The thin models send mixed messages to young girls. It is true that fat ladies do get made fun of as do thin ladies. The young ladies will do what ever it takes to be so thin and they look awful. Maybe these 2 sisters who died will reach others who are dying to be too thin. Their bodies couldn't handle it. I feel young ladies should be happy with the body they have. Men are to blame too, We change as we age. Like it or not that's the way it is. The press is also the blame. What I mean by they look awful is skin and bones, they should be more healthy.

[michellem99-2009]

I am an older lady. I do feel that it not healthy to be too thin and or over weight. When I was young I could not gain weight and was thin. Now in my 50s I whigh 130. I am not fat. I feel that modeling world need to wake up to the fact we come in all sizes. The thin models send mixed messages to young girls. It is true that fat ladies do get made fun of as do thin ladies. The young ladies will do what ever it takes to be so thin and they look awful. Maybe these 2 sisters who died will reach others who are dying to be too thin. Their bodies couldn't handle it. I feel young ladies should be happy with the body they have. Men are to blame too, We change as we age. Like it or not that's the way it is. The press is also the blame. What I mean by they look awful is skin and bones, they should be more healthy.

[michellem99-2009]

I am an older lady. I do feel that it not healthy to be too thin and or over weight. When I was young I could not gain weight and was thin. Now in my 50s I whigh 130. I am not fat. I feel that modeling world need to wake up to the fact we come in all sizes. The thin models send mixed messages to young girls. It is true that fat ladies do get made fun of as do thin ladies. The young ladies will do what ever it takes to be so thin and they look awful. Maybe these 2 sisters who died will reach others who are dying to be too thin. Their bodies couldn't handle it. I feel young ladies should be happy with the body they have. Men are to blame too, We change as we age. Like it or not that's the way it is. The press is also the blame. What I mean by they look awful is skin and bones, they should be more healthy.

[frb01]

This obsession with thin is a form of mental illness and for some that impedes rational thinking. She should be remembered for her tremendous voice and talent but instead she is remembered for her death through an eating disorder. The world of modeling needs to be reminded of the tragic death of Karen Carpenter. That should give every one involved some pause to think.

[devilstower]

These girls look like they are 12 years of age. If women today think that is what it takes to be a model,then where are the designers saying thats too thin? Or do they think every woman is that thin? WAKE UP people where is the harm in a woman being natural at 5 foot 8 120 lbs? Not a *** thing. You people in the fashion world are just plain ignorent to think every woman should not weigh over 80 lbs. Plain and simple WAKE UP! A womans body is very beautiful with all their curves not a body straight as a board. You people in the fashion world need to walk around a mall and see how many wemon are that small you wount find but 1 or 2 so WAKE UP make clothes for normal ladies not teenagers how many more girles have to die before you WAKE UP!!!!!

[sharncedar]

"If no one loves a fat girl, then girls do what they absolutely have to not to be fat."

How about learning to love yourself. How about rejecting a society and norms that are stupid and destructive. How about having a backbone and thinking for yourself. Not just for yourself, but for all the others that want to be free but are too scared, too isolated. How about grow up, judge yourself, and decide you are just right.