Expert: Kitty Kavey - 10/4/2006

Question
sorry, I got ahead of myself and found metric measurements
already. however, these bring up a new question:
can I model and maintain a healthy weight?
It appears that the standard measurements are around 34-24
-35, mine are about 34-26/7-35. My doctor thinks I'm a bit
underweight, and I hover on the lower edge of the BMI scale (I'm
5'9 and 122lbs)
Is it therefore required that models be underweight? What gives?

Answer
Since different women carry their weight in different areas, one cannot confuse having the right weight with having the right measurements - hence the recent media coverage of models and the BMI.
In Spain they wanted the models to have a minimum BMI of 18, although the normal BMI range is somewhere around 20 to 25.  Some of the rest of the fashion world is catching on, while here (according to the National Eating Disorders Association) the average American model is 5'11 tall and weighs 117 pounds.  
The short answer to your question is yes - certainly one can maintain a weight that is healthy for one's size and metabolism and still work.  Many models do without dieting or excessive exercise, they are just naturally thin and tall.  So long as one fits the sample sizes, there is not a problem. Models who are naturally larger or become larger as they age can work in the plus size division, or swimsuit/lingerie for the more voluptuous.
Keep an eye on the news - there may be more changes ahead as the industry assesses what the public wants to see on the runway and in magazines.
~Kitty