Beautiful is defined as possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; excellent of its kind; wonderful; the ideal of beauty. Today’s models are said to be beautiful, but is the size triple zero really “ideal”? Starving yourself in order to be considered beautiful seems preposterous.

In 2012, most models qualified for anorexia, and size six is a plus size. Twenty years ago, the average model weighed eight percent less than the average woman. Now, it’s 23 percent less. Plus size models have gone from being size 12 – 18 to size 6 – 14. In 2012, about 50 percent of women wore a size 14 or larger. That means if all women were models, about half of them would be a plus size or unqualified to be a model.

Today, these “beautiful” women are seen everywhere: magazines, television, posters, billboards, showcase windows in stores, and on the runway. Since they are in so many places, it’s almost impossible to not see them and perhaps be “awestruck.” Most women, even young girls, see this and think, “Wow, I want to be just like her,” and strive to be what’s considered beautiful: a stick with clothes hanging off of her. A stick isn’t healthy. Thin, not skinny with bones poking through, but thin with meat on those bones and being able to fill clothes, that’s healthy.

Due to these paper-thin models, women, even teenage girls, starve themselves because they want to be that version of beautiful. More than 90% of those afflicted with eating disorders are adolescent and young adult women. About one percent of adolescent girls develop a disorder called anorexia nervosa. This disorder is dangerous because it allows the person who has it to starve to death. Two to three percent of young women develop bulimia nervosa, overeating followed by vomiting or other “purging” behaviors. One in ten cases ends in death from starvation, cardiac arrest, or suicide, all to achieve that “ideal” figure.

There are better ways to maintain a healthy body weight than making oneself sick or starving oneself. Eating right, exercise, and staying away from “junk food” are some of the most basic ways to stay healthy. It may be hard at first, but it’s worth it; it’s definitely better than the alternative.

The size zero and below models that are seen everywhere are thought of as beautiful, but what’s truly beautiful and ideal is the person underneath the skin. Weight is just a number, but the person who looks at that number with tears in their eyes, they aren’t “just a number.” They are so much more.