Should Fashion Modeling Require a Doctor’s Note?

By Ashley Lee

Some people say Adele is too fat (are you kidding me, Karl?), while others say Angelina Jolie is too skinny (what a tiny right leg to cause such a meme!). It seems so difficult for women to find an accurate definition of what the ideal female body image is, one that is sexy and attractive without being hazardous to our health. In a world with eating disorders, push-up bras and hair colors that rotate like pairs of underwear, does such a thing even exist?

Of all places, Israel is out to find the answer. Earlier this week, Israeli lawmakers passed a breakthrough ban on underweight models working in their fashion industry. The New York Daily News explained the details:

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.

According to the World Healthy Organization, a BMI below 18.5 signifies malnutrition, meaning that a 5’8″ woman should weigh at least a healthy 119 pounds. The ban intends to reshape the industry’s definition of feminine beauty for Israeli teen girls, as 2 percent of those between 14 and 18 have severe eating disorders — a statistic common of other developed countries.

Even more so, the ban extends to those who also “look underweight” altogether, as any advertisement published for the Israeli market must also include a blatant disclosure that explains if the model featured has been digitally altered to appear thinner. Farewell, Photoshop!

Society’s criticism of the fashion industry’s hazardous practices are nothing new to the ears of designers and models — from abusing child labor laws and working conditions in sweatshops, beauty seems to be synonymous with pain in more ways than one. But Reuters reports that after two anorexic Latin American models died in 2006, various countries including Italy and India have already banned underweight models from the catwalk. And Israel’s latest bill against unattainable “beauty” may set a precedent for other countries with noteworthy fashion capitals.

“Beautiful is not underweight, beautiful should not be anorexic,” said Rachel Adato, one of the lawmakers who pushed the bill alongside Israeli fashion photographer and model agent, Adi Barkan. ”I look (back) 15 to 20 years ago, we shot models (sized) thirty-eight. Today, it’s twenty-four,” Barkan said. ”This is the difference between thin and too thin. This is the difference between death and life.“

I’m no critical gender studies major or body image expert by any means, but I am a female 20-something who has inevitably been swayed once or twice by the presentation of women in the media — just like all of you have. And I think this ban is a great thing. This piece of legislature is not only looking out for the health of the impressionable Israeli teens who define their beauty expectations by an unhealthy and often unattainable standard, but it’s also hoping to protect the well-beings of the models themselves. It can change how women see themselves, how women see other women, and how men see women too. It may put a few runway stompers out of work every once in a while, but it really could save a lot of people’s physical and social health in Israel. And it could carry on into other countries and possibly change the world’s presentation of women for the better.

Maybe there is no such thing as the ideal body image. But until the designers who create our clothes and the retailers who sell them accept that, we’re still all trying to fit into the same sizes and shapes. To be honest, I’d rather be on a permanent undie run than try to convince myself that my ass will fit into a pair of high-waisted denim shorts, and I sure as hell won’t let some underweight fashion model tell me that they’re any better than me for getting theirs to do so.

Would you support a ban on underweight models in the US? Or is this bill unfair for those who happen to “look underweight” or want to create fashion for women who are a smaller size?

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.

[Lead image via conrado/Shutterstock]