Beauty is only photoshop deep: Legislating models' BMIs and photoshopping images

Many women struggle with poor body image and eating disorders due, in part, to images of very thin women and photoshopped bodies in the media and advertisements. In 2013, Israel's Act Limiting Weight in the Modelling Industry, 5772-2012, came into effect. Known as the Photoshop Law, it requires all models in Israel who are over 18 years old to have a body mass index of 18.5 or higher. The Israeli government was the first government in the world to legislate on this issue. Australia has a voluntary Code of Conduct that is similar to the Photoshop Law. This article argues that the Australian government should follow Israel's lead and pass a law similar to the Photoshop Law because the Code is not sufficiently binding.