Interesting report on what Israel is doing to help combat eating disorders through providing better role models in the ads viewed by people. It would be helpful if others emulated what Israel is doing.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46795433/ns/today-style/t/new-israeli-law-bans-underweight-models-ads/?fb_ref=.T2iyk1Ur864.like&fb_source=profile_multiline
New Israeli law bans underweight models in ads
Legislation hope to encourage use of healthy models and heighten awareness of digital tricks
4 comments:
Maybe Yitta Halberstam can take a lesson from that...
Is there a proven link between fashion models being overly skinny and young girls harming themselves to achieve the same look?
Absent evidence, I'm not sure if this really gets at the heart of the issue. The real issue is likely more tied up in not tying self esteem to dress size and not objectifying people.
Why do we need governmental legislation to tell us what advertisements we can have/not have. Why can't we encourage self esteem in our children, without putting them in a bubble? Are we going to ban skinny people?
I personally know someone who never dieted in her life, is not doing any exercise (besides daily life tasks), and has no general medical condition that would account for this, but she is underweight naturally. (aren't we jealous).
Are we to ban her from the streets? Should I tell her she has to overeat before she can go to work in the morning?
Anonymous #2, we all know people who are naturally uber thin. This is not about those people. There are any number of jobs which have requirements for age, weight, height, physical stamina--think fire fighters and police officers to name just two. The reasons for those requirements are multi-fold--being able to easily handle the equipment necessary and yes, being "large" enough to have an authoritative presence, just to name two.
Like it or not, the fashion industry in our country and other countries around the world has what many feel is undue influence. Models are iconic for a whole lot of women. If a model is uber thin, then people take that as a sign of what they should look like or aspire to look like, no matter what it takes. The Israeli government, feeling that health trumps fashion, is putting a weight requirement for being a print model--it's a requirement for this type of job. You don't like the requirement? Then don't aspire to that job. They aren't banning anorexia--although wouldn't that be wonderful--but those whose weight is not considered as healthy will no longer be the visual poster girls for what people should look like, at least according to the fashion industry, which has a really vested interest here.
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