Long, slender legs, slim figure and size zero hips, that gorgeous model on the catwalk of America's Next Top Model is the motivation to stay fit. Surprisingly, this motivation is the leading cause of life-threatening eating disorders in our young women today. According to research, 95% of those suffering from eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25, the primary audience for trendy television programs. 70% of girls in fifth through twelfth grade say that images of models in magazines influence their ideals of a perfect body. The fashion industry has been the most influential source in the lives of our young women. We see girls and young women eating as little as possible, sometimes even starving to stay fit. Susan Albers, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, said that exposure to thin models is a big trigger in maintaining an eating disorder. When they watch America's Next Top Model or flip through a fashion magazine, these young women don't realize that those models are naturally thin or suffer from an eating disorder. Our young women grow up in a society where they don't feel comfortable eating what they want without regret. To make matters worse, Victoria Secret models pose in bikinis in advertisements, creating guilt in young minds. The fashion industry is one of the major factors contributing to the growing number of eating disorders in young women today. The modeling industry is the main source that exposes underweight models on catwalks and in advertisements. Instead of sending the positive message that beauty is health, the industry is giving negative directions to its audience. It is influencing them to believe that the zero dimension is the only de...... middle of paper....... 2013. .Pearson, Catherine. "Fashion and eating disorders: how much responsibility does the industry have?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, September 13, 2011. Web. December 4, 2013. .Poulsen, Debra . “Stop killing our daughters by hiring anorexic models, US modeling agencies.” change.org. Np, nd Web. December 5, 2013. “Should the Fashion Industry Regulate Underweight Models?” About.com Women's fashion. Np, nd Web. December 5, 2013. "Thinspiration-Quotes." Pinterest. Np, nd Web. 5 December. 2013. .