In PHOTO: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to attend the St. Andrews 600th Anniversary Dinner in New York, December 9, 2014.
In PHOTO:Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to attend the St. Andrews 600th Anniversary Dinner in New York, December 9, 2014. The event was created to support scholarships and bursaries for students from under-privileged communities and investment in the University of St. Andrews' media and science faculties, sports centers and lectureship in American literature. Reuters/Carlo Allegri

London’s women’s shop Whistles has caught the attention of a couple of eating disorder support charities for its use of thin mannequins at their shop. Beat and SEED charities were especially concerned over the wrong message the mannequins may bring to costumers especially sufferers of anorexia.

A spokesperson for Beat, one of UK’s leading eating disorder charity support group, has voiced out her concern over the dangerous message the thin mannequins used by Whistle’s may impart to its women costumers. According to Mail Online, Mary George called it “disappointing” to see an underweight mannequin being used by a high-street store such as Whistles. “This stereotype can be extremely harmful to some and while the fashion industry doesn't directly cause eating disorders- it has a powerful influence that is highly toxic to some vulnerable young people,” she said.

George added using the thin mannequins is a stereotype than can cause extreme harm to some women, especially since the fashion industry is highly powerful in influencing some vulnerable young people.

Likewise Marg Oaten MB, the secretary and co-founder of SEED, another eating disorder support charity group, said the thin mannequins are an “outrageous” and not a “realistic reflection” of a human body size and shape. “Promoting clothing in this way can be highly dangerous to potential sufferers of anorexia nervosa,” she added.

A photo of one mannequin from Whistles, shared by Mail Online, shows the appearance of stick-thin legs, protruding chest and collarbones and skinny arms. The photo was snapped by a passerby in the Whistles store in Angel, London. According to the site, the Duchess of Cambridge is a long-time costumer of the shop. In another photo shared by Mail Online, Kate Middleton is seen wearing one of the brand’s burgundy dresses in London back in 2013.

Marg Oaten MB said that fashion can be creative and fun. But she also calls on the retailers to be more aware of their responsibility in providing a positive influence on people, such as being more realistic in their depiction of a human size and body. She said using a thin mannequin to promote clothing may have an impact on people suffering from an eating disorder. Mary George from Beat added mannequins used by retailers such as Whistles should be a mixture of different heights and widths as it reflects the realistic reflection of a body size and shape.

In related news, Fashionista has announced that Whistles has cancelled their London Fashion Week show due to a “family bereavement.” Instead, the brand will be releasing images of its fall 2015 collection which was supposedly set to debut on the said show.

For questions/comments regarding the article, you may email the writer at t.diente@IBTimes.com.au