Although Storm modeling agency issued a statement assuring the public that a seemingly “pro-ana” comment Kate Moss made (you might know the one: “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”) during a recent interview with Women’s Wear Daily was “taken out of context” and “completely misrepresented,” and that Moss “does not support this as a lifestyle choice,” and although Moss recently threw an outdoor dinner party (perhaps to give the paparazzi a chance to photograph her eating), the public and media are still talking about it – both negatively and positively.

(Yes, positively – today, Washington Times writer Kelly Jane Torrance suggested that maybe Moss’ comment was exactly what the doctor ordered for folks dealing with obesity.)

Although I don’t really think Moss’ quote was taken out of context (WWD asked, “Do you have a motto?” and Moss’ entire answer was, “There are loads. There’s ‘Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.’ That’s one of them. You try and remember, but it never works.”), it’s not really Moss I’m thinking about right now; rather, it’s the backlash celebrities receive when they do or say something the public feels encourages dangerous and unhealthy behavior.

It’s a slippery slope, really.

On the one hand, there’s the argument that children and teenagers and even some adults can be very impressionable, and so it’s nothing new for parents and other concerned people to take an interest in what celebrities and other public figures say or do that might give people the wrong idea about what’s cool, acceptable, or safe.

On the other hand, the argument can be made that because many celebrities don’t get into acting, singing, sports, or any other high profile position to be role models (rather, they want to actually act, sing, play a sport, or, you know – just be rich and famous), and because parents should be responsible for teaching their children right from wrong and everyone should, at some point, learn to be responsible for their own actions, celebrities shouldn’t be held responsible for how someone else might use their actions or words to make decisions about what’s okay and what’s not.

So, what do you think? Does the public have a right to react so angrily when a celebrity says or does something that could send a negative message? Should a celebrity be expected to carefully choose what she says and does, not because by doing so she would take care of her public image but because by doing so she would avoid becoming a negative influence?

Think about it, and in the meantime, if Moss’ comment hit close to home for you, or maybe someone you know, check out these resources:

• PsychCentral.com’s section on eating disorders, which includes information about anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating.
• The National Institute of Mental Health’s (NIMH) section on eating disorders, which also includes information about how the disorders affect males.
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s (SAMHA) section on eating disorders, which includes information about getting diagnosed and referrals to therapists.
• The National Eating Disorders Foundation

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    Last reviewed: 14 Oct 2011