1980 and from 1959 to 1999 show that the featured models have become thinner over time, making the thin ideal even more difficult to achieve. Women on television According to researchers, 94% of females on television are thinner than the average women (168.5lbs) in the United States. It is normal in society today for women to work and provide an income, but it is still common for women on television to be portrayed in traditional female roles. According to the study done by Donald M. Davis, "While many of society's institutions have moved forward with respect to women, television may be lagging behind, at least as evidenced by demographic variables." Modeling The top modeling and fashion industries often embrace the ultra-thin appearance. A majority of elite models are approximately 20% underweight, exceeding the anorexia nervosa indicator of 15% underweight. Fashion models and modeling agencies are often blamed for the societal pressures that cause young women to develop eating disorders. Others argue that modeling agencies and fashion cannot be blamed for the disordered eating behavior of easily influenced adolescents. However, after several incidents in which models died from anorexia nervosa, such as the case of Ana Carolina Reston, several major fashion modeling events have adopted new policies to encourage healthy body weights. For example, Madrid Fashion Week officials banned models with a body mass index lower than eighteen. Comparable guidelines have been adopted in similar fashion events in other countries, such as Brazil and Argentina. See also Anti-fat bias Female body shape Body image Size zero References Body shape