Doctors in Russia are battling to save the lives of 14-year-old models
Masha and Dasha Ledeneva who fell critically ill after starving
themselves because their modelling school told them to lose weight. The
pair were rushed into intensive care looking like 'living
corpses'. Their case was brought to attention by Maria Kokhno a 29-year
old model and campaigner for eating disorders who had to battle anorexia
herself. Kokhno said the girls who were already slim were told
to reduce enogh weight 'so their cheekbones were visible' in order to be
given more shoots. 
She
said: “Nobody was keen to help the girls, their mother went here and
there, hospitals were rejecting them,” said Kokhno.“Masha can stand up
but Dasha is only lying and cannot even lift her head,” said Kokhno.“The
mother contacted TV presenter Elena Malysheva and the Nutrition
Institute in Moscow but nobody wanted to deal with ‘living
corpses’.Fighting back tears, their mother Natalia Ledeneva said: “They
were told Dasha’s body shape is quite okay but Masha should get rid of
couple of kilos…“The girls heard it in their own way.“These children
have always been perfect in everything, so they decided to be perfect
here too.“It all happened very quickly.“Whatever I did, however I tried
to persuade them, it led to nothing." 
