Isabelle Caro, a French model who posed naked for an anti-anorexia campaign died at the age of 28 after being treated for an acute respiratory illness. She died on November 17th after returning to France from a job in Tokyo, according to a friend, Vincent Bigler, a Swiss singer. In an announcement to journalists, Bigler added that he was not sure what the exact cause of death was. Caro's emaciated image shocked people during an Italian ad campaign aimed at highlighting the problems related to anorexia in the world of fashion and other parts of society. Caro was suffering from anorexia when she posed for the photograph and weighed 59 pounds (27 kilograms).
Anorexia Nervosa is a psychological disorder in which the patient has a distorted body image and an illogical fear of becoming/being fat, so they deliberately try to lose weight. The vast majority of sufferers are females, but men may also be sufferers.
According to DSM-IV-TR® Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association), a patient with Anorexia Nervosa:
Weighs at least 15% less than their ideal weight
Has a body mass index (BMI) of no more than 17.5
Has missed three consecutive menstrual periods
Is over-preoccupied with weight and body shape
Is extremely fearful of gaining weight
In over ¾ of cases, Anorexia Nervosa starts when the patient is aged between 11 and 20 years. Approximately 6% of patients die, with half of all deaths resulting from suicide. Anorexia Nervosa has the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses.
Sufferers are typically perfectionists who set themselves unattainable targets. When those targets are not achieved, the patients start controlling parts of their life they are able to, such as their food intake and body weight. Experts say that an irrational fear of losing control generally results from low-self esteem and self-criticism. Many patients feel they have totally lost control after eating a minute amount of food.
Caro's illness started when she was 13 years old.
Following the death of a Brazilian model from an eating disorder, Oliviero Toscani, an Italian photographer, created an advertising campaign for an Italian fashion company. Caro's nude picture appeared on billboards and newspapers - in the photograph her protruding bones and vertebrae were clearly visible. The ad's slogan read "No Anorexia".
Caro's photograph brought eating disorders into the limelight in Europe and North America. She spoke about her illness regularly and her efforts to get better. She explained how serious a menace anorexia was in the world of fashion.
Although the exact cause of death has not been revealed, Caro had been ill for a long time; she had been in and out of hospitals for several years.