"Ideal Height to Weight Ratios"

I've approached this subject before and due to recent events in my own life I thought it would be interesting to go back to.

If you've ever flicked through the pages of any gal magazine whilst they were on the market, you're bound to have seen the adverts where an already tiny girl has gotten even tinier. Whilst Photoshop would have played a part in making these girls look waif as possible there's no smoke without fire; it would be insanely difficult to photoshop rib cages sticking out, right?

The below were from a particularly infamous ad in Ageha due to the Photoshop used making them seem ridiculous.


38, 37, 39kg... these girls are all such a scarily low weight, with or without Photoshop aiding them. I recently came across a blog post by Sincerely, Dolly talking about Shizuka Takeda's "Ideal Height to Weight Ratio". For those unfamiliar, Shizuka Takeda was one of the Happie Nuts models before the publisher went into bankruptcy. Therefore her "Ideal Height to Weight Ratio" is an interest insight into the world of gyaru modelling and what is expected of the girls who model for magazines, brands, etc.

Granted her opinion is based of those of Japanese girls. As a Westerner I am used to girls being slightly 'heavier' so whilst it might be shocking to Westerners that these numbers are being idealised, for these girls they are able to carry such little weight with little health risks. The numbers that Shizuka recommends are as follows:

♥ 155 cm → 38 kg
♥ 156 cm → 38.5 kg
♥ 157 cm → 39 kg
♥ 158 cm → 39 kg
♥ 159 cm → 39 kg
♥ 160 cm → 40 kg
♥ 161 cm → 41 kg
♥ 162 cm → 42 kg
♥ 163 cm → 42.5 kg
♥ 164 cm → 43 kg
♥ 165 cm → 43.5 kg

I personally stand at 162cm and at 42kg (and have actually dropped below this weight). My BMI is 16. In order to have a healthy weight my healthcare provider recommends I put on an additional 15kg. If a hospital is recommending that I should put on that much weight then surely this can't be healthy even for Asian girls with smaller frames and possible smaller bone density than myself. I wear a UK size 4, or a US Size 0

To put it into perspective, here's a lazy day picture of myself trying on a MA*RS skirt (I was wondering if it was too short to be honest and was asking a friend for an opinion but I digress):


Not healthy. I'm pretty much flat everywhere, if you get what I'm trying to say.

Alternatively, the Korean "Ideal Height to Weight Ratios" are as follows:

♥ 150 cm → 40 kg
♥ 152 cm → 41.6 kg
♥ 154 cm → 43.2 kg
♥ 156 cm → 44.8 kg
♥ 158 cm → 46.4 kg
♥ 160 cm → 48 kg
♥ 162 cm → 49.6 kg
♥ 164 cm → 51.2 kg
♥ 166 cm → 52.8 kg
♥ 168 cm → 54.4 kg
♥ 170 cm → 46 kg

These are somewhat better and would put a girl of my size into a BMI of 18.8 which is considered healthy. These numbers are a lot easier to read and not as shocking as the ratios that Shizuka suggests following. Of course, the modelling world is vicious with new girls lining up to replace the established faces we all know and love so the pressure to remain thin is high but I can't help but worry about the advice that is being given off, especially if you're a Westerner such as myself who are reading these numbers and thinking how?

What do you guys think of the "Ideal Height to Weight Ratios"? Would you guys aspire to fit this?

If you or someone you know is suffering from a eating disorder, please seek medical advice. These images are not healthy. If you do wish to achieve such numbers do this by eating healthily and excercising.