According to Kaplan, BMI is the best indicator of overall nutrition, but only if the models are adults, because the measurement system assumes the height of the adult. On Monday night, a law was passed banning underweight models from local advertising and also requiring all publications to indicate when they were using altered images on their pages that make the models look thinner. The new law requires models to provide medical proof of their weight and indicate in the advertisement whether an image has been altered to make a model look thinner. According to The Guardian, agencies that let models work without being certified in good health by a doctor can be fined €75,000 ($112,264 CAD), and responsible employees could face up to six months in prison. Given that there are currently only about 300 professional models working in Israel, the law may not have a significant impact on the fashion industry, but it is a small step for model art. Although the law does not apply to foreign publications sold in Israel, there is hope that the new legislation will have an impact. Israeli model agent Adi Barkan supported the project because he had been concerned about the models` diminishing body mass since he entered the industry thirty years ago. “They look like dead girls,” Barkan said. The medical certificate will be valid for two years, according to HuffPost Canada, which also reported on the new law. If a model`s BMI falls below 18.5, it is classified as underweight and is considered at risk for health problems. If you keep an eye on French fashion, you may notice a change in the models sneaking onto the Parisian catwalks in the future.
A law passed in France 2015 banning dangerously thin models has now come into effect. “I know a lot of models who are perfectly healthy girls who could be disqualified because of the law,” he said. “Such a law would disqualify them without determining whether they are really sick or not.” The law requires models to create a current and valid health report for each photo shoot conducted in Israel, indicating their body mass index, the report no older than three months. Israel shares similar statistics with many other developed countries, according to which about 2% of all girls between the ages of 14 and 18 suffer from severe eating disorders – and in recent years, the fashion industry has been considered one of the main players in compiling these statistics. An additional French decree now requires by law that all Photoshop images that appear in ads be marked as retouched photograph. The disclaimer is mandatory for listings placed in France from October 1. However, the New York Times points out that this does not apply to editorial shots in magazines or newspapers, which are arguably the most sought-after campaigns by models in the industry. The new French law went into effect Friday, but the law has been under discussion for eight years, reflecting long-standing recognition of potential health risks to models — an issue Kaplan has seen firsthand with some of its patients. Other countries, including India, Israel, Italy and Spain, have already passed similar laws to ban the use of models that are too thin.
The fashion industry has long been accused of promoting anorexia and bulimia in girls of impressionable age through the use of very thin models on catwalks and in magazines. Spain and Italy passed similar laws for excessively thin models in 2006, when both countries banned super-thin models from the track based on BMI. In 2012, Israel banned ultra-thin models without health certificates, proving they have a BMI greater than 18.5 (anything below 18.5 is considered underweight, according to the World Health Organization). A French law banning underweight models from working officially went into effect on Friday, Refinery29 reports. First proposed in 2015, the ban on underweight models aims to reduce cases of eating disorders in the fashion industry by setting widespread health standards: to operate, models must provide employers with a health certificate issued by a doctor. Employers who fail to comply with the law – by hiring models without a medical certificate – can expect fines of up to US$82,000 and six months in jail. An earlier version of the law had proposed a minimum BMI for models, prompting protests from modeling agencies in France. Models in France now need a medical certificate to prove their health. The BBC reports that a particular focus will be on a model`s body mass index (BMI) – a measure of body fat based on height and weight – although it is no longer the sole determinant of a model`s health following massive protests from the fashion industry.
Agencies that allow models to work without proper health certificates face a fine of nearly $82,000 and up to six months in jail. “15 or 20 years ago, we photographed 38 models. Today, there are 24,” he said. “That`s the difference between thin and too thin. This is the difference between death and life. Each medical certificate is valid for up to two years. Body mass index (BMI) – a calculation derived from the comparison of weight versus height – is taken into account to determine the overall health status of models over 16 years of age. (According to the World Health Organization, anyone with a BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight.) Critics say the legislation should have focused on health rather than weight, as some models are very thin in nature. “Handsome is not underweight, handsome should not be anorexic,” she said. In 2015, the France passed a law banning excessively thin mannequins. Two years later, this law finally comes into force – and it contains some additional concessions. The France now legally requires models working in the European Union and the European Economic Area to have a doctor certify that they are in good physical health – the latest preventative measure to combat growing concerns about eating disorders in the industry.
The law was adopted by the French National Assembly at the end of 2015, after having already been proposed the same year. The original versions of the bill proposed to use body mass index, or BMI, as a guideline; In particular, models that fall within the range considered “healthy”, which is generally defined as a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9, would be excluded from work (the average model today has a BMI of 16, which is considered “severely undernourished”). After a backlash from model agencies and fashion companies, many of which cited studies showing that BMI is not an accurate predictor of a person`s overall health, the bill was amended to require models to provide a medical certificate instead. Although a minimum BMI has not been and is not officially mandatory, physicians are advised to consider BMI when reviewing a model and deciding whether it is fit for work. Under the new legislation, agencies that allow models to work without being deemed healthy by a doctor can be fined or jailed. The France is not the first country to legislate underweight models – Italy, Spain and Israel have all done so. Italy, Spain and Israel also have laws on underweight models. The Israeli government has passed a law banning the use of underweight models in advertising and on catwalks. Mary Brophy Marcus reports on health and wellness for CBSNews.com Images in which a model`s appearance has been manipulated should be marked as photographic retouching. Susan Scafidi, founder of Fordham`s Fashion Law Institute, told WWD that the sanctions distinguish French law from similar laws in Spain and Italy.
Israeli supermodel Adi Neumman said she would not qualify for jobs under the new legislation because she has a BMI of 18.3, despite good diet and exercise.