MODEL RECOMMENDATIONS Replacing harsh guidelines

Curves may be in, but changes aren't likely to occur anytime soon on the runways of New York Fashion Week. The Council of Fashion Designers apparently decided that guidelines imposed by Spain and Italy were too harsh. The group's "recommendations" include:
Keep models under 16 off the runway and don't allow models under 18 to work at fittings or photo shoots past midnight.
Educate those in the industry to identify the early warning signs of eating disorders.
During fashion shows, provide healthy meals and snacks, while prohibiting smoking and alcohol.
Still things are changing on the catwalk, in part because:
Ana Carolina Reston, 21, of Brazil, died Nov. 14, 2006. The model was 5 feet 8 and weighed 88 pounds.
Model Luisel Ramos, 22, of Uruguay, died Aug. 2, 2006. Her sister, Eliana Ramos, also a model, died Feb. 13. Both causes of death were apparent heart attacks.
Fashion-show organizers in Spain and Italy have set weight guidelines for models in the past few seasons, partly in reaction to the deaths of the three young models believed to be caused by anorexia.
At London Fashion Week, organizers declined to impose a specific ban, but did say no size-zero models would be used.
How we compare:
Average woman's size: 5 feet 4, size 14
Average model's size: 5 feet 11, size 0 or 2
Source: National Institutes of Health