The recent debate over the use of plus-sized models and the backlash from the fashion industry has been taken down a level. British mannequin manufacturer Rootstein has launched a new range of dummies that has once again set off the weight war of words, with campaigners for eating disorders being especially incensed at the waif-liked bodies.

Beat, the UK charity that helps people affected with eating disorders, has lashed out at the news of the new mannequin release, which will be officially unveiled next month at a collection for Young and Restless. The male mannequin, for example, features a chest measuring 35 inches and a waistline of just 27 inches – making him 11 inches slimmer around the waste than the average British male according to statistics from the NHS.

Susan Ringwold, eating disorder expert and chief executive for Beat, told reporters that shop windows full of overly skinny mannequins can have just as negative of an effect on males as females. Males are coming under increasing pressure to feel the same body consciousness as females in modern times, and the result has been a rise in eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia among males.

Rootstein would not comment directly on the allegations, but has said previously that it does use deliberately slender, but healthy, teenagers for models – a trend they claim is seen amongst pop stars and celebrities everywhere.