The image about to me shows someone who is brave enough to stand up and say yes i have a problem and i want the world to see so that no one else follows in my footsteps. Anorexia is something of a taboo subject and up unto the time Kare Carpenter died there wasnt a mention of this condition. Shame on them for saying that these young girls might now aspire to become like this i mean clearly no one can find this picture attractive but what i blame for this is society and media. We are constantly bombarded with images of skinny celebs and young girls then think well this is what i have to do to be accepted. Beauty is skin deep it is our personality and our love for humankind that we should judge. If we are curvy its wrong or our nartural weight we are wrong but who exactly decides whats execptable tv.celebs,magazines? Humankind is also to take some blame how many times have we looked at someone and found a fault with them we as a society need to say i am what i am!

Clare Quinn, Burnfoot, Ireland

It is sad if this is caused by a condition beyond their control. However, many young girls choose to be way too skinny thinking it is the thing to do and the way to be. Those of us who are overweight have a problem too but that is a different story. Food choices for years have lead to weight problems in both directions and the overly fat or skinny ones just don't realize what they are dong to themselves. I hope somehow they can be helped.

rick, Miami, USA / Florida

This ad definitely shows how unglamorous being too thin is. It is worth showing to save even a few girls from anorexia...surely some will seek treatment after seeing this ad. --- It is definitely time "fashion" included women of all sizes.

Anne-Mariw, Florida, USA

The image above of Ms Caro is an image which is not designed to sell clothes. It is interesting that whilst there is so much uproar about this image, there are others similar to her who have strolled up and down catwalks and in the public eye who wear and model clothes. I think that the image above is a stark reality of the physicality that is anorexia. It would have been interesting to ask Ms Caro what she felt about her own image above and how she looked. It is a known fact that those in the grasp of anorexia to her extent are prevented by their physiology from seeing their true appearance but at a normal weight it is possible to see her emaciated tired body. Society has created for itself values, for women especially which place extreme pressure on them to be all singing, all dancing vehicles for success. To blame mediatized culture alone is naive. Lets start looking inwards at self to see what demands and expectations we place on ourselves to see how we hold unrealistic measures.

Charlotte Nichol, Northampton, England

show pix of sexy actresses..Bardot, Lollobrigida, Monroe etc alongside the skinnies and ask the men to vote for who they prefer....that should deal with the problem.....

suzy, new york,

Hmm... Maybe said fashion company (and other brands claiming to take the issue seriously) should stop the frustrating practice of only stocking their stores up with sizes 0 to 12 (or 32 - 42 or XXS to L), thereby implying anyone over an outrageous size 12 is simply "too fat" to wear fashionable clothing... and how about getting rid of those "Big and Tall" or "Big is Beautiful" sections filled with shoddy middle-aged formless moo-moos and letting the fat, I mean average person, actually buy the clothes they want...

Jenna Rae, Charlton,

To answer Justine Breedon's concerns, I saw an interview on French TV last week in which Isabelle Caro did say that she had been undergoing treatment since she nearly died. She had already put on a few pounds BEFORE the photo shoot (she was as 28 kg, I think) and was now 35 kg (if I remember correctly). She talked about her diet and seemed very determined to get back to a "normal" size while refusing to set any goals in terms of weight.

David, Les Sables d'Olonne, France

My friend AVIA is a fabulous nutritionist in Barbados . She stays at a BMI of 18.5 intentionally. Can I say she is ugly? Skin and bones? Nope in fact SHE IS GORGEOUS when people see her they all want to be like her.. Her business is great. She knows this.Everyone I referred to were so happy with their weightloss results . So when I see posters like Isabelle I understand.. Its what an individual wants...People now visit from around the world to see her. It comes down to an individual's choice. NOONE can force you to be THIN and starve yourself ..You are the person who decises

Maintel , Long Island, New York

Like others I too am a recovered anorexic. However I think the message that the photographer and Isabelle Caro wanted to convey will go awry. What most people will see is an unpleasant picture of anorexia, however does this give any gusto on how we can prevent and better treat people still suffering from the illness? Hardly! I've always found that the media has a strange way of treating this disease, one week they expose it and lack any awareness to how we can help, and then the next they encourage thiness but rebute the fact that it could even contribute to the mental health problem we have today. This is add is definitely not helpful to suffering anorexics as it can be extremely triggering. The last question I want to ask is I hope that Isabelle Caro is in some kind of treatment because she doesn't look like she's heading towards recovery anytime soon.

Justine Breedon, Fargo, ND

As a recovered anorectic, I think it is about time somebody showed what this disease really looks like. Poor Ms. Caro looks like an old woman, not like the photoshopped "thinspiration" photos the "pro anorexia" websites plaster across the internet. This is a disease, it is not sexy, and it kills- and it is often ignored. The peson who said that Ms. caro would be in hospital after 15 years is wrong. Some people live with this all their lives- it's about time the gruesome truth was shown. Oh, and by the way, the fashion and beauty media do indeed play into the eating disorder epidemic.

Elizabeth Brooks, New York, NY

An image of an anorexic person in a supportive context can be very positive. Some years ago, such a photo in a famous travelling exhibition spurred a significant realization in another woman who was looking at it. I saw it happen.

The exhibition has regrettably never made it to England, but it's certainly known in North America: The Century Project by Frank Cordelle. The girl pictured in the exhibition (and book) said that being photographed by Cordelle was a breakthorugh: "Posing for you was one of the greatest experiences of my life, though I didn’t realize it at the time."

Let us hope the same for Isabelle Caro and those certain ones who see her photograph.

For those interested: www.thecenturyproject.com

Dr. Paul Rapoport, Ancaster, Ontario Canada

I suffered from anorexia as a young woman: 5'5" and 97 lbs. My only worry was that I wasn't skinny enough! Once a person is caught up in anorexia's image denial syndrome, he/she may indeed think that Caro's appearance is worth emulating. But for the overwhelming majority of people, Caro is simply a Halloween picture--very frightening. If I had seen such a picture before I began my slide to Size 0, it would probably have made a difference. Yes, excessive fat is just as bad. Perhaps it is more socially acceptable because there are so many more fat people, especially here in America. But I don't see these as "social issues," but rather, personal/family health issues.

Norma Vincent, San Diego, CA

I'm sorry to say this, but that model looks hideously frightening! I think the ad would most likely scare people into eating!! However, as some people have mentioned, obesity is a much bigger and more common problem. Why is it that it is more socially acceptable to be fat than thin when it's been scientifically proven that a couple pounds in fact takes away from your life span? I'm by no means advocating being dangerously thin, but being overweight is a much bigger problem in my opinion.

Lara, Texas,

I am astonished to hear that ...."" health experts were outraged and voiced fears that teenage girls might be encouraged to “compete for extreme thinness” after seeing the images." .. the image of Caro has shown so clear of her suffering, confusion, her pain.. it shows a clear message of .."no, no, do not go there.." We are not that stupid to compete with that!!... Fashion models have a great influence over woman, not only teenagers.. we need them to present a healthy image. Now it is the time for us to be honest to face the truth, that the thinness IS NOT HEALTHY.

TIAN, san francisco, USA

I used to be bulimic; and I admit I still have issues with my body - I am 5'4 and am 8 stone. I still sometimes feel like I can't look at myself in the mirror and sometimes 'miss' the defined bone structure I had. I am pleased to have a doting husband now who makes sure I eat well; and through him I see a way to love myself and my body.

I say well done to putting this problem out to light; all too many sufferers hide themselves and never see how bad we look when we're that gaunt. I know I'm happier and healthier being a UK size 8!

Now to put child obesity out there as an epidemic; we have to start loving ourselves and that has to be soon!

Regina, Brooklyn, USA

You can't forget the death of a brasilian top model just a few months before. Anorexia do have a link with fashion but it does not explain everything. With internet developping fast, more and more teenagers create a wrong image of the woman, fed with "babes" and "sexy women" we can see in some scandalous websites or magazines. There is market in there. Girls are now suffering of that!

Patrick gennaro, France,

Perhaps we could put up some posters of obese people and solve that problem too. It's all so simple.

Ellen Morris, Leeds,

For every anorexic there are 10,000 obese people. But no-one is going to do adverts with photos of fat people as it won't sell products.

Adela, Karlstad, UK

I am a survivor of anorexia. My personal road into the disease had to do with emotional abuse and a troubled childhood. Everything else was peripheral. Once you are sick, you may be far gone enough to even want to compete with such a horrible sight. But for that to happen you have to be sick already. So no, such an image will not cause anorexia and if it eggs on some individuals to "compete", said individuals are already afflicted to begin with. This campaign is helpful more than it is harmful. If all it does is just open up the doors to constructive communication on the subject, then it is an effort that is well worth it.

Mizzy B
http://www.mizbohemia.com

Miz BoheMia, San Francisco, USA

I've suffered form anorexia for 1,5 years, but after only a few month I droped half of my weight! And was as skinny as she is, I survived after being alsomst dead...I think this is great!!! People must know more about anorexia! It's a serious business and this will not stop all the girls and boys from wanting to be extremely thin, but it can help for the people who doesn't want to stop eating for other resons than fitting in this sociaty...
I love it!!! Good job!!

Lianne, Haarlem, Netherlands

A very brave girl and an equally brave label standing behind her. Respect!!

Larry, Stratford upon Avon,

I think it will help. A friend of mine who was naturally very slim and had a tendency to 'skip meals' if she felt fat watched a television proramme on anorexia and was horrified by the appearances of the women on there. She realised that being underweight was not attractive at all, and thn started eating properly.
I believe that being exposed to the full horror of the disease pulled er from the border line of anorexia and encouraged her to eat heathily and maintain a normal weight.

Laura, Eastbourne,

In relation to the comment made by Kate Nicklin, "How can Fabiola De Clercq say that this is an exaggerated image when this is not a fabricated image of someone suffering. It is a very real photo of a woman who IS suffering..."
This IS an exaggerated image when it's advertising a model with anorexia. Yes, she may be suffering from the illness but because of the fact that she is a model and only 4st 12lb she has not been admitted to hospital, any other normal woman would not have come out of hospital if they were still suffering after 15 years!!
I guess i'm "lucky", i'm 5 ft 6 and don't weigh above 9 stone naturally, i don't do excessive exercise, i eat more than most women (and men) around and i enjoy what i eat.
I am not trying to make anybody feel bad, but women need to realise that they are much prettier and more confident as themselves.
Starving yourself or purging does not make you beautiful, what is attractive about a skeleton? NOTHING! It shouldn't be advertised at all!

Kay, Lincolnshire,

Does she have a patch of psoriasis on her sacrum?

Sylvia, Winston Salem, NC

Also raises awareness of eczema at the top of one's posterior, for which I additionally applaud this brave young woman. Now someone get her a cheesecake and a jumbo-sized pair of knickers.

John D, London, UK

Is it shocking and damaging. The vast majority of anorexics do not look like Miss Caro. This will only serve as a "trigger" to those who already have it or are trying to recover. Far more people suffer from obesity. Why photograph fat people to raise "awareness" of the dangers of that?

Katherine Savage, Lansing, Michigan, USA

As the mother of a 14 year old struggling with this for the last two years I applaud Isabelle Caro. Most annorexics never admit they are sick, or see themselves as underweight.

What I struggle with is anyone condemning this campaign. It won't encourage girls to look like this nearly as much as the media bombardment from emmacited celebrities and models shown in magazines and on the TV every day. As that is the current standard - you can't go into a store without every manaquin modeling anything more then a size 2 - it is absurd to think girls are going to except the line that "all shapes are ok". Society doesn't mean it - they promote the anorexic look.

Sarah , NY, NY

How can Fabiola De Clercq say that this is an exaggerated image when this is not a fabricated image of someone suffering. It is a very real photo of a woman who IS suffering, along with millions of other women across the world, from anorexia.This photograph only shows the truth that anorexia is a very serious, universal problem. We should applaud this woman for taking the step she has and admit she has a problem.

It is about time the problem of eating disorders was addressed.

Kate Nicklin, Jarrow, United Kingdom

I think that one has to make the issue of anorexia a permanent one. The media tends to take up issues when they seem intresting and drops them after a short time. A global discussion should be imposed and not only the fashion industry should be alerted both the media working closely to this industry. Another important part are parents and the education of young girls. We should try and rise self-asured, confident young women that are not ashamed of their bodies or who they are.

Melissa Ofoedu, Bradford, England

Good idea, I think. Exposing this disorder with such a shocking advert, will surely shock the viewers, and will make them more aware of the dangers.

Tal, Tel Aviv Suburbs, Israel

How brave of her to be photographed. Iv'e seen another ad where a young woman is standing in front of a mirror and pulls on the flesh on various parts of her body. She's not pleased with what sees. She thinks she's fat or, heaven forefend, might have some flesh on her bones, Than a new camera shot and the camera shows the truth - that this young woman is terribly thin. She looks like an Austwitz survivor.

lawrence Coleman, New York City, USA

Hiding this problem, hiding the victims cannot help. Having otherwise healthy young people die from anorexia is far more offensive than seeing the ravaging effects on a naked body.

S Preston, Spring Lake, NJ

"She said the advert might even have the opposite effect to that intended and encourage young women to imitate Ms Caro and “compete for extreme thinness”."

There are always going to be girls and women (in particular) who are susceptible to these disorders. The image is not going to create or exacerbate this problem. What the campaign can do, however, is bring a very real disease out of the dark and provide (hopefully) the encouragement or impetus to friends and family of sufferers to address these problems and help them seek help.

Anna, Manchester,