Israel’s “Photoshop Law” Bans Too-Thin Models From The Runway And Magazines

A new law takes effect this month for Israeli models, requiring that individuals who want to work in print ads or runway shows must maintain a BMI of at least 18.5.

Joining other countries like Italy in the battle for healthy body image, Israel’s “Photoshop law” also demands that advertisers clearly indicate when ads featuring models have been digitally altered.

Initiated by fashion photographer Adi Barkan, the legislation is aimed at deterring the glorification of anorexia. A friend of Barkan’s, an anorexic model, weighed 60 pounds when she died in 2007, ABC news reports.

Defining beauty differently

While not everyone is on board with the new law – some suggest it penalizes models who are naturally thin due to genetics – many important Israeli influencers hope it can help address the eating disorder epidemic that exists in the country.

“We are all affected,” Barkan told the Jerusalem Post. “We wear black, do [drastic] diets and are obsessive about our looks. The time has come for the end of the era of skeletons on billboards and sickly thinness all over. The time has come to think about ourselves and our children and take responsibility for what we show them. Too thin is not sexy.”

Source: ABC News, The Jewish Week