When Israeli model Hila Elmaliach died of anorexia and shocked the world in 2007, another 6 more years had passed until the Israeli government, the Knesset, finally responded to a devastating problem in Israeli society. In 2013, they finally imposed a ban on skinny models that, sadly, had been in high demand among Israeli designers during an era in which mannequins had been literally demoted to clothes racks to put fashion into the center. 18.5 – that’s the magic number in the modeling industry. If the BMI of a model falls below 18.5 in medical checks, then the model is definitely too thin to be booked for a shoot or the catwalk.
The rest of the world can hardly imagine that eating disorders have such a fatal impact in Israel, given the seductive curves of Israeli top export hit Bar Rafaeli. However, not only the modeling world is affected by this issue. In fact, many young girls emulate the rickety beauty of many models, which can be observed in abundance in the campaigns of major brands including Prada and Yves Saint Laurent.
Does the prohibition of skinny models stand for a light at the end of the tunnel for normal Israeli girls and models? Probably, it is like a drop in the bucket as the law is ultimately only visible on a piece of paper. In reality, the whole thing looks wholly different. The industry has unlimited tricks up its sleeves. The models drink several liters of water just before a checkup or simply lose weight quickly right after the checkup. The fashion designers only focus on the medical results, which must be submitted 3 months before the shoot or the walk. 3 months – during this time, the model can easily remove several kilos. There are simply no instances that check compliance with the minimum BMI effectively. For this reason, you can be sure that Hila Elmaliach wasn’t the last one to die from anorexia.
That’s why the problem of anorexia remains in the rest of society, too. In Israel, where women as well as men must do civil service in the army, a devastating problem has long been discussed. For the past decade, the number of women in the military suffering from food addiction has increased by 200%.
At the same time, fashion photographer Adi Barkan fights at the other end of the problem. He used to be a close friend of deceased Hila Elmaliach and has attracted attention with sensational campaigns against anorexia.
Picture: © http://www.agentprovocateur.com/gb_en
