Faith

‘They Look Like Dead Girls’: New Israeli Law Bans Underweight Models in Ads

JERUSALEM (AP) — A new Israeli law is trying to fight the spread of eating disorders by banning underweight models from local advertising and requiring publications to disclose when they use altered images to make women and men appear thinner.

The law, passed late Monday, appears to be the first attempt by any government to use legislation to take on a fashion industry accused of abetting eating disorders by idealizing extreme thinness. It could become a model for other countries grappling with the spread of anorexia and bulimia, particularly among young women.

New Israeli Law Bans Underweight Models in Ads

An Israeli walks past an advertising displayed on a main street in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Monday, March 19, 2012. A new Israeli law, passed late Monday, is trying to fight the spread of eating disorders by banning underweight models from local advertising. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

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.

“We want to break the illusion that the model we see is real,” said Liad Gil-Har, assistant to law sponsor Dr. Rachel Adato, who compares the battle against eating disorders to the struggle against smoking.

In Israel, about 2 percent of all girls between 14 and 18 have severe eating disorders, which is a statistic similar to other developed countries, said anthropologist Sigal Gooldin who studies eating disorders.

The new 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 U.N. 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.

New Israeli Law Bans Underweight Models in Ads

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

The law was championed by one of Israel’s top model agents, Adi Barkan, who said in 30 years of work, he saw young women become skinnier and sicker while struggling to fit the shrinking mold of what the industry considered attractive.

“They look like dead girls,” Barkan said.

Critics said the legislation should have focused on health, not weight, saying many models were naturally very thin.

“The health of the model … should be evaluated. Our weight can change hour to hour,” said David Herzog, a professor of psychiatry and a leading U.S. expert on eating disorders.

Top Israeli model Adi Neumman said she wouldn’t pass under the new rules, because her BMI was 18.3. Neumman said she ate well and exercised. She said legislation should have focused on health and well-being, not weight.

“Force actual tests. Make girls go to a doctor. Get a system to follow girls who are found to be puking,” she said.

Legislator Adato said only 5 percent of women had BMI that naturally fell under 18.5.

“On the one hand, maybe we’ll hurt a few models,” Adato said. “On the other hand, we’ll save a lot of children.”

Pressure on the fashion industry has intensified in recent years, sparked by the deaths of models in Brazil and Uruguay from medical complications linked to eating disorders.

Uruguayan model, Luisel Ramos, 22, collapsed soon after stepping off the runway in August 2006, reportedly of anorexia-linked heart failure.

Other governments have taken steps to prevent “size zero” medical problems, but have shied from legislation.

The Madrid fashion show bans women whose BMI is below 18. Milan’s fashion week bans models with a BMI below 18.5.

New Israeli Law Bans Underweight Models in Ads

The U.K. and U.S. have guidelines, but the fashion industry is self-regulated.

Unrealistic body images in the media are believed to shape eating habits, especially among young people, though there is debate about how influential they are.

Gooldin, the anthropologist, said young women used in television, movies and advertisements as references for the ideal body, rather than the women around them.

“There’s a gap between our own bodies … and ideal bodies. They keep shrinking and getting smaller,” she said.

It’s not clear whether the law will have a measurable impact, because Israeli teens take their cues from both international media and local publications, Gooldin said. And the ban isn’t likely to affect many – there are only about 300 professional models in Israel, and only a few work abroad, said agent Barkan and model Neumman.

But Gooldin said it was a positive step to deal with a problem that has plagued Western societies.

Legislator Adato said she hoped Israel would be an example other countries could study.

“You don’t need to be underweight to be beautiful, or successful,” she said.

Comments (38)

  • tomacz
    Posted on March 21, 2012 at 1:56am

    these skinnyminnies,anorexia perhaps reflect technology,,,,,modern nations who use vaccinesI,,download every additive
    the FDA certifies as safe,I had downloaded these,some 50 components,chicken embryo, hydrolized yeast extract,sodium stearate..the e mail account that stored them got hacked,wiped,should have had the stuff backed up.
    the worldwide controversy about thimerasol (containing mercury) vaccines was the only item examined
    leaving 49 or so of the rest untested.
    next for consideration might be plastics in water bottles the ladies always carry,containing pthalates,
    which affect appetite,by screwing with thyroid,pancreas,body image.

    Report Post »  
  • truevalue
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 8:22pm

    99.9% of images in magazines are ALTERED/AIRBRUSHED. Flip through any fashion magazine…Thats a fact. Its not fair because nobody is perfect…its illusion.
    Just look around, do you see people like that on the street? They dont exist.
    Young women have to understand it and stop starving themselves.

    Report Post »  
  • ThoreauHD
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 7:55pm

    I don’t think we need a law. I think we need more competition in media. If we could turn to another magazine(s), rather than all of them being owned by two people, it wouldn’t do as much damage. The solution to pollution is dilution. A natural law truism that works every time.

    Report Post » ThoreauHD  
  • AllAmericanGirl22
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 3:49pm

    Of course no one wants eating disorders, but controlling what companies can do is not the governments job, and this just sounds stupid. The problems of eating disorders is between that person and his or her family.

    Report Post » AllAmericanGirl22  
    • biblegeek119
      Posted on March 20, 2012 at 6:46pm

      I disagree. There is when common sense get into place.

      Although I think “modeling” and “fashion” and “trend” is a post-digested-cattle-feed (no one should be looking out for the next season uniform or acceptable colors of styles), I believe that these girls (the models) are being mentally abused and the way they are presented is bad for society.

      Report Post »  
  • OniKaze
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 3:25pm

    I don’t see what the problem is… If someone’s so weak willed that they will starve themselves just to impress others, is no great loss to the world if something bad happens to them due to their own stupid decision.

    Sure, Looks are way more important than anyone will EVER admit (because when we are all honest about it, we all kinda look like jerks, both men and women…) however, if you relate you self worth to your appearance, then you are a fool, and the world would be better off without you and your train of thought.

    Now, if you CHOSE to be thin, because you like the way you look and the clothes you can wear when you are, then great and its no-one else’s business how you chose to live, but if you think that way because you “THINK” you have to, then like I said, your a fool. Just like you should have the right to be a fat and lazy slob, I think you should have the right to be overly-thin…. Its a choice that should be left to the individual…

    Personally, I like thin women.. I go out of my way to maintain some semblance of a toned body (except my stomach… no matter what I do I can’t get rid of the little love handles….) and I don’t see how expecting the same from my loved ones is a bad thing.. I am not jealous of people who are thinner and better looking than me, so I don’t see why so many others are… And if you are jealous, then maybe you should put the effort into losing some of your weight so you can be thin too….

    Report Post » OniKaze  
  • Windsong
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 3:22pm

    Bravo, Israel! The ‘fashion’ world hasn’t yet realized that their models are addicted or unhealthy…or both. There is nothing pleasurable about watching an anorexic female walk down a runway without a smile, a nod or recognition that there are actually people around.
    Perhaps they make a lot of money weighing two-thirds of what should, but is it worth what they give up? For instance, a very famous model was quoted last week of saying that Obama would be re-elected because ‘I live in England and I’m a Socialist – what do you expect’?
    That told Americans all we need to know. Professional models only have to starve themselves to be famous. The lowly public who purchases their ‘wares’ have to give up their rights, their love of country and their freedom – in order to be as helpless and dependent as a ‘professional model’.
    Everyone knew they were rich. Very few knew they couldn’t survive on their own, or that they’d need to be kept by someone very rich all their lives. Professional models just plummeted to the ‘ambulance chasing attorney level…which is just below community organizers.

    Report Post »  
    • OniKaze
      Posted on March 20, 2012 at 3:34pm

      I agree with you about models should NOT be allowed to continue with eating disorders or drug abuse, however not all models that look anorexic are.. My ex-girlfriend left the U.S. and went to France to be a runway model about 2 years ago, and she looked VERY thin but she used no drugs, and had no eating issues (in fact she ate more than I did) and she was naturally just a thin person. And when we sat down and had a large meal, we would both go and exercise to keep from packin on the pounds…

      So, do many models have un-healthy lifestyles… Sure… no denying it… But you can’t say all thin models are that way for those reasons and that their industry should be regulated because some to many are fools… Its foolish to pass laws like this.. Just more government trying to tell people what CHOICES they should make… And anyone who supports it is an enemy of freedom.

      If you know someone who has an eating disorder, it should not be the government that discourages that, it should be YOUR role as a loved one or friend..

      We should not ask the government to take responsibility for our own decisions.. EVER

      Report Post » OniKaze  
  • WasOnceALiberal
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 3:20pm

    Apparently, the nanny state extends far beyond our own borders. Sorry, but I’m not among the men who desire a woman with a larger arse than my own. If your panty can be used on weekends for a reserve parachute, I don’t want to see you modeling it.

    Report Post » WasOnceALiberal  
  • Shasta
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 2:38pm

    My ex-wife makes these girls look obese. Try as hard as I did, she would never, and still never eats.

    Report Post » Shasta  
  • lukerw
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 1:24pm

    The problem with Power… is that the holder always become Fascit… demanding Conformity! You would have thought… that they learned the Lesson… and there more important things!

    Report Post » lukerw  
  • Zuitsuit
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 1:24pm

    Wow, its getting so you cant tell the difference between Israel and Islam.

    Report Post »  
  • Ghandi was a Republican
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 11:19am

    They probably exercise too.. What’s wrong with that overlooked message?

    Report Post » Ghandi was a Republican  
  • BlackCrow
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 11:07am

    Iran is trying to build nukes, Egypt is in the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood, rockets being fired form Gaza and civil war in Syria, and they are worried about swim suit models? Priorities are screwed up!

    Report Post » BlackCrow  
    • cemerius
      Posted on March 20, 2012 at 11:32am

      Thats just another day in Israel…..they are constantly under rocket attack from those poor ,misunderstood refugees…….It’s incredible that Israel is leading this issue I should also point out that age should be a factor as well….models getting thinner and younger every day too!

      Report Post » cemerius  
    • justangry
      Posted on March 20, 2012 at 3:07pm

      Most experts are saying that they believe Iran hasn’t decided whether or not to build nuclear weapons at this point. If I were them, I’d be building them though. They have to be pretty nervous after watching the US invade and dismantle two of their neighbors over the past decade. That being said, yeah there‘s important issues and this isn’t one of them. I just clicked the link because the ones in the bikinis looked really good. (must be the spring in the air, cuz lots of women are looking good now) The women in the other pics, however need to eat a samich, but I don’t think there should be a law preventing publishing pictures of them.

      Report Post » justangry  
  • tzion
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 10:22am

    I can agree with mandating that doctored images be declared as such but using BMI as arbitrarily as they are I think is a little unfair. It would have been better to have doctors determine what weight is healthy on an individual level. After all, what happens if you have someone for whom 18.5 BMI is underweight?

    Report Post »  
    • The_Jerk
      Posted on March 20, 2012 at 10:35am

      Government has no right to mandate anything that is not harmful. If you agree to declaring doctored photos, then you must agree that the women wearing makeup are also doctored, and must be declared. This is no more than fat, lazy people, attacking that which they never will be. I say that there should be a larger (no pun) war on obesity.

      Report Post »  
    • tzion
      Posted on March 20, 2012 at 11:20am

      @Jerk
      Would you also be against false advertising laws? Or listing the ingredients and nutrients on food labels? I’m not for banning doctored images anymore than I am for banning foods with high sugar content. Such a mandate doesn‘t change how the company actually advertises it’s product and costs the company nothing.

      Report Post »  
    • The_Jerk
      Posted on March 20, 2012 at 12:40pm

      False advertising? The models lips weren’t really that red. Isn’t that false advertising, according to your definition. Airbrushing is no more false.
      As to the silly comparison of declaring compounds ingested to airbrushing, I’ll let commonsense answer to that.

      Report Post »  
  • Wakeup Maggie
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 10:04am

    That’s stupid–some of us are just built that way. In my 20s…I ate whatever I wanted–including lots of hamburgers and Mexican food, and was a stick. Gubment has no business mandating we weigh. Have another doughnut rose ellen

    Report Post » Wakeup Maggie  
  • PPMStudios
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 9:18am

    Hmmm, the four young ladies in the photo look…. Oh, what’s that word? Oh yeah, HOT!

    Report Post » PPMStudios  
  • garven
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 8:14am

    What do you expect from a Police State?

    Report Post »  
  • captaincameron
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 8:11am

    Size 0 isn’t healthy.
    Neither is size 20.
    In fact, I’d be willing to bet that there are more health issues in developed countries that are due to people being overweight than underweight.
    Regardless, this is just another example of government regulating things that they have no business dealing with.

    Report Post » captaincameron  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 7:48am

    .
    ‘They Look Like Dead Girls’,

    I think they are trying to make Fat Chicks feel better about themselves…….

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • auntmoxie.com
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 7:25am

    Well, it kind of makes sense that they’d not take this lightly: They’ve seen their own turn into “the walking dead”. It has to harken to a darker time — on some level any way.

    Report Post » auntmoxie.com  
  • qpwillie
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 7:06am

    I certainly don‘t think it’s something the government should have a hand in but I’ve always wondered why anyone thought a woman had to look like she was wasting away with starvation in order to be a model.

    Report Post » qpwillie  
    • rose-ellen
      Posted on March 20, 2012 at 9:38am

      wow!Something i can support coming from israel.

      Report Post »  
    • mycomet123
      Posted on March 20, 2012 at 9:45am

      You can thank “Twiggy” from the 60′s that set off this anorexia trend.

      Report Post »  
  • Baddoggy
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 7:05am

    I beat anorexia…I was 2 years old at the time and I have held it off for over 50 years…

    Report Post » Baddoggy  
  • JACKTHETOAD
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 7:02am

    Can I go to Israel to check their pulses?

    Report Post » JACKTHETOAD  
  • MONICNE
    Posted on March 20, 2012 at 7:01am

    Wwmmd?

    Report Post » MONICNE  
    • rose-ellen
      Posted on March 20, 2012 at 8:32am

      Wow! something i support coming from israel.men who are attracted to super thin women are misogynist at heart i suspect.Either that or they have been conditioned by the pervasive images to be attracted to child looking women.Nice to see israelis are not .

      Report Post »  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on March 20, 2012 at 9:16am

      Spoken like a true fat chick Rosie. That burka covers it up nicely though.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
    • JACKTHETOAD
      Posted on March 20, 2012 at 9:37am

      Rosie oughta use a few Jolly Rogers sewn together for hers.

      Report Post » JACKTHETOAD  

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