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New Zealand media up in arms over mannequin

Posted at 8:55 PM, Oct 14, 2014
and last updated 2014-10-14 22:43:06-04

Store mannequins — in general — are fairly slender. But the mannequins at one store in New Zealand look very different from the rest.

Emily Robins snapped this photo of a mannequin with its ribs exposed last Thursday while shopping with her cousin at a department store called Glasson's.

Immediately, people headed to social media to give their two cents. Some agreed that the mannequin was unnecessary, while others didn't see the problem — pointing out mannequins have never been designed to reflect a woman's body in the first place.

According to New Zealand's Life & Style, the store's chief executive defended the mannequin, noting it's "healthy" body mass index of 18.8.

Which is still pretty skinny. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute says a person is considered underweight if they have a BMI less than 18.5.

Find out more with this Newsy video.