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Israel has banned the use of skinny models in advertising
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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The Israeli government has passed a law banning the use of underweight models in advertising and on the catwalk. The new law requires models to prove their weight with a doctor's note, and fashion magazines to monitor the authenticity of photographs and prevent models from being "slimmed down" using image editing software.
The bill is based on the calculation of the body mass index - a value that allows one to assess the degree of correspondence between a person's weight and height. To calculate this indicator, one should divide the weight (in kilograms) by the square of the height (in meters). In order to be admitted to fashion shows and photo shoots, the body mass index of Israeli models must be at least 18.5. The figure must be confirmed by a recent certificate from a doctor.
Supporters of the law believe that the fashion for extreme thinness is to blame for eating disorders among teenage girls. About two percent of girls in Israel aged 14 to 18 suffer from various eating disorders (in other developed countries the statistics are similar).
Rachel Adatto, a doctor and member of Knesset who pushed for the law, believes that healthier bodies will now dominate advertising. "Beauty is not underweight, beauty is not anorexic," she says.
The law's supporters include representatives of the fashion industry. "Looking back 15-20 years, I remember that we were shooting size 38 models. Today they are size 24. There is a difference between a skinny girl and a girl who is too skinny, and it is the difference between life and death," says Adi Barkan, an Israeli modeling agent and fashion photographer.
However, many models believe that the new bill is biased and will deprive naturally thin girls who cannot gain weight of their earnings. Critics of the law also believe that the focus should have been on health rather than weight.
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