[POLL] Should Magazines Stop Air-Brushing Photos to Make Models Look Slimmer?

• The following is a press release from Change.org, followed by a Patch poll

14 YEAR-OLD ASKS SEVENTEEN MAGAZINE FOR NON-PHOTOSHOPPED IMAGES OF REAL GIRLS
More than 7,000 people have joined a popular campaign on Change.org calling on Seventeen Magazine to print one unaltered photo spread per month.

Julia Bluhm, a 14 year-old member of the girl-led SPARK Movement, is leading the campaign on Change.org following Glamour Magazine’s recent decision to stop altering photos of models to make them appear slimmer.

Bluhm, an eighth grade ballet dancer, says she hopes Seventeen will decide to follow suit to promote positive body image amongst their teen readership. 

“I'm a teenage girl, and I know how it feels to think you're not good enough,” said Bluhm, who launched the campaign on Change.org. “I want girls to be able to feel good about themselves, and being able to relate to the images in the magazines we read will help.” 

“I started this petition to help girls see that they're not alone,” Bluhm added. “Seventeen Magazine is supposed to be a relatable magazine, right? How can we relate to computer altered photos? Seventeen is popular with my friends and lots of teen girls. If they agree to print one unaltered spread a month, they could start a trend that will help so many girls like me feel better about their bodies.”

News of the online petition campaign’s success is likely to increase pressure on Seventeen Magazine.

Within days of the campaign’s launch, Bluhm had recruited thousands of supporters on Change.org, the world’s fastest growing platform for social change. Along with her online petition, Bluhm and her friends are also gathering printed signatures in the lunchroom at her school.

“A fourteen year-old girl in Maine has tapped into the national conversation on young girls and body image,” said Change.org Senior Campaigner Shelby Knox. “She’s a total powerhouse, walking around with her friends at school to gather handwritten signatures for her petition. Between that and social media, Julia’s managed to recruit more than 7,000 supporters from 15 states. It’s been incredible to watch her campaign take off.”

Live signature totals from Julia’s campaign:
http://www.change.org/petitions/seventeen-magazine-give-girls-images-of-real-girls 

So, what do you think? Should magazines stop air-brushing models to make them look slimmer? Take our poll and tell us in the comments.