Spain bans thin models

Models banned from Madrid fashion show for being too thin

Three models have been banned from one of Spain's biggest fashion events, after they were deemed too thin.

The Cibeles show, which takes place as a week-long fashion event in Madrid, has made the move to not feature models with a body mass index of less than 18. The rejected models were found to have a BMI smaller than 16.

Speaking to The Times, Susana Monereo, a nutritionist who weighed the models for the show commented, 'A BMI of 16 is extremely low, their health might be OK, but their appearance is extremely thin.'

The Spanish organisation first made moves to stop very thin models from appearing on the catwalk in September 2006. Other countries have followed the lead, including Milan, where fashion week is taking place next week.

For this week, all eyes are on London, where no similar measures are yet to be implemented. The British Fashion Council has started making moves to verify models health before allowing them to work and, from next year, models will need medical certificates to work at the capital's fashion shows.

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