Israel passes law to ban underweight models from local advertising

PanARMENIAN.Net - A new Israeli law is trying to fight the spread of eating disorders by banning underweight models from local advertising. According to AP, the law, passed late Monday, March 19, also requires publications to disclose when they use altered images to make women and men appear thinner.

The ban appears to be the first time a government has used legislation to take on a fashion industry accused of abetting eating disorders by idealizing extreme thinness. It could also become a model for other countries grappling with the spread of anorexia and bulimia, particularly among young women.

The law's supporters said they hoped it would encourage the use of healthy models in local advertising and heighten awareness of digital tricks that transform already thin women into illusory waifs.

The law requires models to produce a medical report, dating back no more than three months, at every shoot that will be used on the Israeli market, stating that they are not malnourished by World Health Organization standards.

The UN agency uses a standard known as the body mass index - calculated by dividing weight by height - to determine malnutrition. WHO says a body-mass index below 18.5 is indicative of malnutrition, said Adato, a gynecologist.

Any advertisement published for the Israeli market must also have a clearly written notice disclosing if the model used was digitally altered to make her, or him, look thinner. The law will not apply to foreign publications sold in Israel.