"Being a woman, not dummies." The crusade of the curvy model against anorexia

Elisa d'Ospina, 30, Venetian, Italian is the standard-bearer of the world "curvy". It took time to accept as a girl, but then with his chili 'too much' has had international success and now goes into schools to teach girls to accept their bodies

                 Elisa d'Ospina, against anorexia

It is a battle going on for years : give advice to all women to accept their bodies , battling anorexia and bulimia. It ' a model ' curvy ' , who has made just a few extra pounds , compared to the parameters of the fashion world , the secret of his success.

With its size 48 and her 77 pounds, has earned the cover of Vogue and has walked the international catwalks for the biggest fashion designers. Elisa d' Ospina , 30, Venetian , it is mainly the Italian flag bearer of the world " curvy " , as she likes to call it , claiming the beauty regardless of the size you wear.

And to say that it took a lot to learn to live with his physique . For this reason, since it became one of the mannequins " plus size " Popular , decided to engage in numerous campaigns against eating disorders . One way to push the fashion industry to adopt aesthetic models closer to reality , remembering that " women are not dummies ." It does this by talking to the kids in the schools , participating in TV shows and now publishing the book A Curvy Life.

                                                         Elisa d'Ospina, against anorexia

Former awkward girl. "I've always been 'a lot of stuff' - he says -. Highest since I was a child and I had my chiletti more. My peers often asked me if I was bigger than them or if I had been rejected. Then I grew up and learned to live with this body "different" than boys of my age. I found a foothold in the older boys who had a different maturity. I learned in high school to like me. I started to strip the clothes from rapper, who allowed me to disguise well my body, and dress like a lady. Eventually i was not all that different from other women i had my hips, my breasts, my height. i had to learn to live with it. "

The success for those extra pounds . Then , by chance, while working at a trade show in Milan , a talent scout noticed her and asked her if she wanted to be a model for large sizes . " I thought it was a joke. Calmly began to show me the book of girls in the flesh, but beautiful and I said to myself : ' I'll never be like them.' But that day was my turning point ."

Elisa 's life has changed and she started working for top designers , especially abroad. But he has not forgotten the time when he was a clumsy girl and felt ' ugly duckling ' . He thought to help many women who struggle against the balance , sometimes up to get sick. " I remembered when , 10 years , for the first time I put a foot in the center that cared about eating disorders to visit a relative. Since 2008 are denouncing the active sites pro anorexia and pro bulimia. Tour the ' Italy and Europe to raise awareness on this issue. Flanked by psychologists and nutritionists to meet the young people in schools , but also adults. Unfortunately there is not much knowledge about this phenomenon, which is the second leading cause of death in adolescents after road accidents. Only in Italy are 3 million people suffering from these disorders . "

                Elisa d'Ospina, against anorexia

The avatar on the cover . In the focus has been mainly images and templates advertised as ideal by the media and fashion , starting with those girls threadlike protagonists of advertising and fashion shows. A model often unattainable and even distorted. " The woman we see in the media reinforces the belief of ' thin is beautiful ' , but it is far from reality. Because I often speak of avatars in photoshop , hair and makeup , lights , put right , all we can be a model for a day. there is no woman in the morning can not have dark circles or meet cellulite . "

Lessons in schools. The Battle of Elisa in 2009 she won the role of spokesperson of the Ministry of Health against eating disorders , while his campaign , " I'm not a fashion victim " has been around the world. " In the schools , the comparison with these guys be careful , timely in their responses , receptive fills my heart . Moreover, these new generations are very smart and understand that beauty can be even more , not just physical - he explains - . Upon Rai 2 in the transmission Done said I have a book where I talk about fashion for all women : the curvy , the bassine , the most skinny . I understand that it is the fashion which must be at the service of women and not vice versa. "

The first piece of advice: "Surrounding ourselves with people who love us." But what are the tips that this 'master curves', as defined, would give all those girls who can not get over the whole of the extra pounds? Or the many women who are unable to accept your body? "The first rule is to surround ourselves with people who want our own good - says Elisa d'Ospina -. Who knows it takes really good advise, support us and even if we do so in a constructive criticism. Begin to understand who we have around is not easy, but it can help us understand that sometimes our malaise derives from external opinions. sometimes I met beautiful girls complexed because her friends mocked. And always remember that beauty is not a matter of size: we are always conscious health, but let's not make a disease if we have few extra pounds. "