Real-Life Anime Girl: 5'2", 85 Pounds - Severely Underweight (VIDEO)
New photos of a girl who has transformed her body to look like that of an anime character has drawn attention to a number of body issues that girls face.
Anastasiya Shpagina is only 19, but she has created an Internet-wide sensation after pictures of her were unveiled on the Internet drawing a striking resemblance to Sailor Moon, a Japanese manga character. But the act of aspiring to look like fictional characters is nothing new, although it can be extremely dangerous.
At 5'2" Shpagina's average weight should land somewhere between 108 and 121, but she weighs only 85 pounds, according to Internet reports. She also uses contact lenses to acquire her doll like eyes. Just a couple of years ago, a number of young teens and college students wanted to do the same. But doctors have said that it isn't safe and the inappropriate use could even lead to blindness in the most extreme of cases.
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The controversy isn't so different than the one purported by Barbie dolls, which also push the ideas of unrealistic body expectations on young girls. If Barbie were a real life woman, she would be about 5'9 and weigh roughly 110 bounds. Shpagina is in fact, friends with Valeria Lukyanova, a woman who has attempted to look like the real life Barbie.
Attempting to shape your body into something it is not is a big issue for some. People who spend hours in a day wishing that their nose was less crooked or waist was much smaller are considered to have body dysmorphic disorder. The disease can get so bad that people will spend the day obsessing over their imperfections, and a number of them resort to plastic surgery.
Shpagina's BMI, at 85 pounds, would only be 15.5, which is extremely underweight. While dressing up like a favorite character may seem harmless, without the costume it is far less adorable. One would have to practice some form of bulimia or anorexia in order to achieve such a small waist.
(WARNING: Graphic content in video below.)
