The Student News Site of Westfield High School

Hi's Eye

The Student News Site of Westfield High School

Hi's Eye

The Student News Site of Westfield High School

Hi's Eye

Model-Tov

by Julia Queller
In an effort to promote health among both the models and the consumers of the fashion industry’s products, the Israeli government recently passed a groundbreaking law that sets strict guidelines for the modeling industry.

Commentary

​According to huffingtonpost.com, the new legislation forbids the employment of underweight models and requires advertisements to clearly disclose any digital manipulation that was used to make models appear thinner. In this situation, government intervention is an appropriate method of endorsing healthier lifestyle choices, and the U.S. should follow Israel’s lead.
The government, however, is an authority that actually has the ability to enact change, which is why its involvement in this issue is integral. According to huffingtonpost.com, the new legislation requires models to produce a medical report at every photo shoot that proves that they are not malnourished by World Health Organization standards. By enforcing regulations that affect models’ ability to book jobs, the government is ensuring that models finally take these concerns to heart.
It is not a new proposal for models to become healthier. However, societal concerns are not enough to persuade models to stop taking extreme measures to lose weight; if models believe they won’t be able to book jobs without shedding a few pounds, they will not listen to others’ advice.
Not only does Israel’s new law benefit models’ well-being, but it also creates a healthier standard for consumers. Previously, advertisements that portrayed models as unrealistically thin caused many young women to strive to attain a level of unachievable perfection. Now that advertisers must admit when they use digital enhancements, consumers will not feel pressured to take drastic measures to emulate those altered pictures. This law has the ability to stop the cycle of unhealthy choices and promotes a more realistic view of beauty.
While some may protest the role of government in private affairs, the truth is that the U.S. government has already made promoting healthy lifestyles a priority. Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign to combat childhood obesity aims to create a healthier America, just as this new legislation aims to create a healthier Israel. But if the U.S. truly wants to encourage healthy choices, it should adopt Israel’s new law.
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