Anti-anorexic bill announced in Israel

A new bill proposal has been announced in Israel, which bans the use of anorexic models in the fashion world, says online Israeli website Ynetnews.

The Knesset's Labor, Welfare and Health Committee approved the bill which was created to promote self-health, and ensure that any model used in advertising has a healthy body mass.

Any male or female model found to be underweight for his or her recommended Body Mass Index would not be featured in advertisements. As a further initiative, if graphic editing were to be used, such as Photoshop, to make the model seem slimmer, it would be noted in the ad.

"It's a sick industry," says fashion photographer and model agent, Adi Barkan. “Most models eat only about 500 calories per day and they are still told they should loose more weight.”

The bill will hopefully “shatter the anorectic beauty image portrayed by the media and fashion and advertising industries,” Knesset Member Rachel Adatto says.

If this law is passed, it would mean that any model seeking employment will be required to provide medical documentation that their Body Mass Index is normal.

The bill is still awaiting its first reading. However, with anorexia on the rise in Israel, lets hope this bill is passed soon.