Style Figh

Israeli photographer launches
campaign against anorexia.

GIL SEDAN
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

T

Haifa

o thousands of Israeli
teenagers, Adi Barkan is an
idol, the gatekeeper to fame
and money.
They'll ao anything to get his atten-
tion, to have his camera capture their
image. They'll certainly lose a few
pounds to do so — sometimes too
many pounds.
Nov Barkan, 45, Israel's No. 1 fash-
ion photographer, has reversed course.
The man who discovered some of
Israel's top models, such as Sandy Bar
and Natalie Raz, has initiated a cam-
paign against being too thin.
Barkan has joined ranks with Likud
Party legislator Inbal Gavrieli, who has
proposed a law requiring that models
not be employed without a doctor's
certification that they're not under-
weight.
It's a battle against one of the most
common mental disorders in the west-
ern world — anorexia nervosa, the
intense fear of gaining weight followed
by crash diets and distaste for any
food.
"The number of girls who suffer
from anorexia in our small country is
unbelievable," Barkan said.
"Some 98 percent of the girls who
came to my auditions reported they
were dieting," and nearly 14 percent
were anorexic.
So Barkan published a small ad last
summer in a Haifa newspaper inviting
girls to show up for a modeling com-
petition called "Healthy Look." Only
girls approved by the Health Ministry
dietician at the audition were allowed
to compete in the final stage.
Eating disorders such as anorexia
and bulimia — deliberate vomiting
after eating — are most commonly
found in the middle and upper class-
es of industrialized countries, where
being slim is considered preferable
.
for women.
Surveys have suggested that the dis-
eases affect 1 to .2 percent of adoles-
cent girls and young women; and
Israel is no exception.

Barkan has
met all sorts of
aspiring models,
including some
who couldn't
climb the steps
to his office
because they
were too thin
and weak.
"We can
change the pres-
ent catastrophe
It's in our
hands," Barkan
said.
His Haifa
studio has
become a pil-
Israeli fashion photographer Adi Barkan works with his new discovery, model Moran Sankovsky, 16
grimage desti-
nation for girls
— and their
parents — con-
"It's thanks to Adi that I came out
"Our customers are mainly
fident that they're the next Naomi
of it," she said.
teenagers," said Gidi Goldfinger, man-
Campbell, begging Barkan to discov-
The winner in Barkan's "Healthy
ager of Lee Cooper Israel, "but when I
er them. But Barkan has made it a
Look" competition was Moran
see those skinny ones, I prefer an aver-
rule that when an applicant looks too Sankovsky, 16, a 5-foot-6-inch, blue-
age model."
skinny, he sends her home to gain
eyed beauty who weighed 139 pounds.
Barkan also has received commit-
weight.
She since has lost nine pounds, and
ments from Strauss-Elite, one of
Yasmin Nissim, 16, a high school
wants to lose nine more. Is she about
Israel's largest food industries; Castro
student from Rehovot, is still on the
to lose her contract with Barkan along
fashion house; Bank Hapoalim;
waiting list after approaching Barkan a with the extra pounds?
Partner cell phones and others.
year ago.
"No way," Sankovsky said. "I'm
The Health Ministry also has given
"I wanted to become a fashion
totally at peace with myself, and I feel
its blessing to the campaign, as have
model. I so much wanted to be a fash-
that I need to lose a little more, but
school principals who have asked
ion model. I still want to," she said.
[eating disorders] will not happen to
Barkan to speak to their students to
But when she looked in the mirror,
me. I know myself well enough not to
pass on the message that the days of
she didn't see the skeleton she was.
make any mistakes."
"thin is beautiful" are over.
"The lunacy began when I was 14.
The paradox is that Barkan used to
Nissim is still fighting to gain back
My aunt had lost a lot of weight, and
be one of those who sent fashion
the pounds she lost so she can get
I wanted to be like her," Nissim said.
models away to diet. He now
back to Barkan and try again to fulfill
"I easily lost about four pounds, but I
acknowledges that he indirectly con-
her dream.
wanted to lose more and more.
tributed to the anorexia frenzy.
Once she gets to his office, she'll
She wouldn't listen to her parents or
"Obviously, I'm part of it," he said,
fa.ce huge posters of Sankovsky and
friends who told her she was becom-
"but those were the days when Calvin
her 139 pounds. Barkan wants Moran
ing dangerously thin.
Klein extended the contract of super-
to become the counterbalance to mod-
Eventually, Nissim needed to be
skinny model Kate Moss and every-
els like Kate Moss.
hospitalized. When she showed up at
one was following the so-called hero-
With a dubious health record him-
Barkan's studio, he took one look at- -
in-chic style."
self — one bypass operation, seven
her and told her, "Come back when
To compensate for the past, Barkan
heart catheterizations and at least two
you're 13 pounds heavier."
has contacted dozens of fashion hous-
packs of cigarettes a day — Barkan
Barkan succeeded where others had
es in Israel, asking them to join him
feels this is his debt to the new genera-
failed: Nissim so wants to please
in the anti-anorexia campaign and
tion of models.
Barkan, so wants the gates of the fash-
sign affidavits pledging that they
"I will not rest until I convince top..
ion world to open, that she went back won't use models below a certain
fashion designers like Calvin Klein to
to eating.
weight.
join- the campaign," he said.

"

❑

'TN

12/31
2004