‘Too skinny’ models banned

THREE models have been banned from Madrid Fashion Week for being too skinny.

The women were sent home after being weighed and measured by doctors.

The show’s organisers first rejected “excessively skinny” models in September 2006.

Yesterday, doctor Susana Monereo said three girls out of 70 had been turned away.

The show, which started yesterday, rejects girls with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 18.

The BMI is a formula approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for indicating the weight status of an adult.

It is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters.

Dr Monereo, a nutrition expert, said: “The BMI of the rejected models was 16, which is a very low figure which represents extreme thinness.

“They might be of good health, but their appearance is very thin.

“The image of extreme thinness is worrying.

“Ninety per cent of the girls have a very good BMI.

“The models come to be weighed and measured without any problem.

The doctor said the average had increased since the rule was brought in two years ago.

A BMI of 16 is equivalent to a 1.8m tall woman weighing just 51kg (or a woman of 5ft 11ins weighing 112lb).

Cuca Solana, the director of the show, said: “The average BMI of the models is higher than in the previous edition.”

Since September 2006, 13 models have been rejected for failing the BMI test.

A spokeswoman for the show said the women who were turned down were all foreign, but not British as originally reported.