When it was announced that Dolly magazine had resurrected their Model Search competition this year it reignited debate over the appropriate age for young women to enter the industry. Some suggested that 13-year-old winner Kirsty Thatcher was far too young for the bloody body image battle that apparently awaits her, and others, including the magazine’s editor Tiffany Dunk, claim that she’s not just a well-proportioned clotheshorse but also a positive role model for the young readership.

While it’s a legitimate discussion that will hopefully lead to better safeguards being implemented in terms of workplace supervision and encouraging healthy lifestyles, focussing solely on age keeps the attention away from other equally important concerns facing models today. Concerns that go largely unchallenged.

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