The Weight Issue on America's Next Top Model - Nov. 7

The fact that our Jersey Girl - Lisa , triumphed again this week and that viewer favorite - Heather, continued with her frontrunner status seemed almost a sidenote this week given the issue that was the real elephant in the room - Weight.

In case you missed it, Heather fainted from not eating.

And then there was Sarah who was eliminated because, as a plus sized model, she seemed to have lost weight and was getting too thin. Talk about a strange dichotomy. I'm guessing that Sarah probably went from a size 12/14 to a size 8/10 - too big for a regular model but oddly enough, too small to do plus sized. Too bad, because Sarah was definitely stronger than the amiable but floundering Ambreal.

But the weight issue needs some serious focus on "America's Next Top Model."

We would suggest that this is another issue Miss Tyra needs to seriously address on the show - how to work in the modeling industry while eating healthy. Certainly the show would be doing a major public service, not just to the millions of young women who watch the show and dream of being a supermodel, but to the thousands of models currently working in the industry.

You may recall that about a year ago, the weight of models was a big issue with fashion councils from Britain to Spain making declarations about what needed to be done. The New York-based Council of Fashion Designers of America even held a press conference to discuss the issue, promising that it would work with industry leaders to promote a healthier lifestyle and image for models. The plans were to include seminars and other programs, as well as encouraging designers to speak up when encountering models that are dangerously thin.

I can't say I've seen much evidence of any of these special programs or seminars. Maybe I missed the announcements about the special programs and seminars.

Weight is a tricky subject. As someone who has covered the dance and now the fashion worlds, I know that not every thin woman is unhealthy. There are plenty of women out there who eat like a horse and don't gain an ounce.

But I also know that body image is a problem and that young women can easily fall into bad habits when it comes to diet because they feel a need to get thinner to compete - for a special role in "The Nutcracker" or for a chance to be considered for the highest levels of modeling jobs such as walking the runway during New York's Fashion Week.