In a move that should be applauded, the government in Madrid, Spain has banned over a 1/3 of the models from a fashion show because they weigh too little.

The authorities collaborated with a Spanish health organisation to come up with a minumum body mass — a height-weight ratio — of 18 for the models.

Organisers said they wanted to “help ensure public opinion does not associate fashion, and fashion shows in particular, with an increase in anorexia, a disease which, along with bulimia, is considered … as a mental and behavioural problem”.

Spanish daily ABC said it was the first time such restrictions had been imposed on a fashion show, although a recent wedding dress exhibition in Barcelona banned fashion models who took a dress size below 38 (British size 10, US size eight).