'We have a moral obligation to ban the airbrush': Debenhams vows not to retouch model shots... and calls on others to follow suit

High-street giant slaps ban on Photoshopped lingerie model shots
No more arm and leg thinning, teeth whitening or bust boosting
Now only airbrush minor things like pigmentation or stray hair
Retailer calls on rivals to follow suit and 'encourage positive body image'
Studies show young girls' self esteem is crushed by altered adverts

By DENI KIRKOVA

Millions of pounds a year are spent by organisations retouching perfectly good images

The airbrush backlash is now well underway as Debenhams announces a ban on all retouched lingerie model shots.
The high-street department store puts and end to such images as they 'want to help customers feel confident about their figures without bombarding them with unattainable body images'.

A lingerie shot before and after retouching: Debenhams will no longer whiten teeth, slim limbs or boost breasts

The use of some digital photography techniques to create unrealistic body shapes and flawless skin can make men and women feel more insecure about their natural looks and size.
Recent research shows that half of schoolgirls as young as 12 are unhappy with their weight and some are skipping meals in an effort to slim, 'due to exposure to airbrushed images'.

In 2011 Britney Spears let airbrushed images from a Candie's shoot to be released along with the originals

A further 58 per cent of girls aged 14 or 15 said they wanted to lose weight, according to the study by the Schools Health Education Unit.
Debenhams now calls on its rivals to ban airbrushed images too.
'We want other retailers to follow suit and encourage positive body-image through minimal retouching rather than bombarding them with unattainable body images,' said a spokesperson.

'As well as being a positive from a moral point of view, it ticks the economic boxes as well.
'Millions of pounds a year are spent by organisations retouching perfectly good images,' says Sharon Webb, Head of Lingerie buying and design for Debenhams.
'As a rule we only airbrush minor things like pigmentation or stray hair and rely on the natural beauty of models to make our product look great.'

source: dailymail
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