Right decision on zero option

At the risk of getting my head bitten off I’m going to say that stopping short of banning size zero models at London Fashion Week was the right decision, says Women’s Editor Tracey O’Sullivan.

That’s because the message sent out has to be a positive one - not a knee-jerk reaction. London Fashion Week was a massive success and amid the uber-glamour the mood was one of optimism and hope.

Not least because the models looked a damn sight better.

But that had a lot to do with a measured approach which was spot on. Recommendations from a new inquiry called for drug-testing and medical checks for models. A constructive route to clean up this industry’s act and watch it do wonders for Britain as it did last week.

The atmosphere backstage at the Stella McCartney show was a case in point.

The girls there were in total agreement that an improved attitude to health was truly welcomed.

One said her agent admitted he had had calls from designers for girls that looked healthier. And that should be the key word - healthier, not just a certain size.

Growing up is difficult and particularly so during the teenage years when body image is everything.

But that’s why they have go t it so right with the size zero guidelines. The world in general is too keen to put people in boxes whether there are too big or too small.

Just because a person is thin does not necessarily mean they are unhealthy. Of course there will be models who will be starving themselves needlessly but that’s where a stringent health certificate comes in. It will pin-point those in need of help and will naturally eradicate those who shouldn’t be a size zero.

But blindly ostracising a certain group of people merely by virtue of a number is not the way to tackle this.

Erin O’Connor who would struggle to avoid the bans on size zero in other parts of Europe is naturally thin and appears perfectly healthy.

Being made to feel a freak just because you are thin, she said, did not help anyone’s cause. I agree totally.

Likewise Keira Knightley said she felt like quitting acting and moving to somewhere no-one knew her after she was accused of encouraging girls to become anorexic.

The hounding she received from the press was a form of bullying just over physical appearance.

I have met ordinary women who are tiny - their frames as close to size zero as any model or actress.

But they tuck into a hearty meal three times a day. They just are the way they are. How are we going to foster a positive body image among youngsters if we don’t keep stressing that a healthy attitude to life is what matters? Not statistics, numbers and measurements.

They need to have the confidence to be who they are as long as they feel as good as they look - some will be slim, some will be curvy.

As long as they feel good about it we won’t have a problem.

It’s time we made being healthy the trend to watch - the must-have of the new season.