Study finds fashion mannequins are the size of severely underweight women

A new study has come to a disturbing (yet unsurprising) conclusion. Mannequins used in fashion stores are the same size as a severely underweight woman.

Researchers measured male and female mannequins at a number of stores across Liverpool and Coventry. They found that every single female mannequin was “ultra-thin”, concluding that this size would be “medically unhealthy” in humans.

Yet only 8% of male mannequins were classed as underweight, according to the study published in The Journal of Eating Disorders.

Although some major fashion brands say they are now using larger-sized mannequins, researchers found no evidence of this in any of the stores they visited.

Topshop recently came under fire for featuring extremely thin mannequins that were supposed to have been banned in 2015.

Dr Eric Robinson, who led the study, believes that mannequins have a direct influence on the rise in eating disorders in the UK. “We of course are not saying that altering the size of high street fashion mannequins will on its own ‘solve’ body image problems,” he said.

“What we are instead saying is that presentation of ultra-thin female bodies is likely to reinforce inappropriate and unobtainable body ideals, so as a society, we should be taking measures to stop this type of reinforcement.”

“There is no excuse for the continued use of emaciated mannequins.”

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