Models strutting catwalks at London Fashion Week should provide a certificate attesting their good health, but there will be no outright ban on wafer-thin women, the British Fashion Council said on Friday. In its report, the council recommended models under 16 should be outlawed from London’s catwalks. It said a medical certificate must be provided by September from doctors specializing in eating disorders. Spain and Italy have recommended banning models with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5 from catwalks, but the expert panel behind the report rejected the use of the index, saying it was not an accurate measure of health. “We have considered this carefully and listened to a range of expert views. But we do not believe a focus on BMI provides the way forward,” the report said. “We favor the alternative approach of promoting good health based on medical assessments of models participating in London Fashion Week.” The report acknowledged there was a problem with eating disorders among models and recommended a health education and awareness program be set up. “During the investigation, evidence of the vulnerability of women in the modeling profession was startling and models are at a high risk of eating disorders,” said the chair of the inquiry.

Isabeli Fontana

Isabeli Bergossi Fontana was born in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. In 1996 she made it to the finals of the Elite Model Look Contest when she was just 13. The following year she moved from Brazil to Milan, Italy, to start her modelling career. In 1999, at the age of 16, she appeared in the Victoria’s Secret lingerie catalogue. This created a huge controversy as Victoria’s Secret had earlier stated that its policy was not to sign models younger than 21 years old. However, the publicity generated by this proved beneficial to Fontana and she quickly rose to fame. Soon after the Victoria’s Secret shoot, she was signed by Versace, Ralph Lauren and Valentino. She has modelled for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Marie Claire, ELLE and Vogue.

She was married to model Álvaro Jacomossi but they divorced in 2004. Their son, Zion, was born in 2003. Fontana married actor and model Henri Castelli on December 10, 2005 and their son, Lucas, was born on October 23, 2006 in São Paulo. Fontana and Castelli are separated now and are in the process of divorcing.

Gisele Bundchen

Gisele Caroline Nonnenmacher Bündchen (born July 20, 1980), is a Brazilian supermodel who has been acclaimed as the highest-paid model in the world. Since her introduction onto the fashion scene in the ’90s she has appeared in countless billboards and magazine covers, as well as numerous TV and print ads. Bündchen is currently the face of more than 20 brands from different countries such as United States, Russia, Brazil, Italy, France, Mexico, Spain, Turkey, South Korea, Germany and Switzerland. According to Forbes, she made $33 million in 2006, adding to her estimated $150 million fortune. She is currently listed in the Guinness World Records as the “world’s richest supermodel”

ITALY VENICE FILM BELUCCI - ACE - CINEMA - ROM09 - 20020901 - VENICE, ITALY : Italian actress Monica Bellucci poses for photographers upon her arrival at the Lido Palace in Venice, Sunday 01 September 2002. Tonight she will give the ‘Leone d’Oro’ award for the career to Italian director Dino Risi during the 59th Venice Film Festival event. EPA PHOTO ANSA / CLAUDIO ONORATI /def - VENICE - ITALY - CLAUDIO ONORATI - def

Actress Scarlett Johansson of US poses during a photocall of "Match Point" directed by US Woody Allen, in Rome 21 December 2005. AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABI ITALY-CINEMA-MATCH POINT

Gisele Bundchen has entered Brazil’s growing debate over anorexia, saying families are to blame - not the fashion industry.

The 26-year-old model was in Brazil for the annual Fashion Rio, a weeklong showcase for some of the country’s top designers.

Anorexia became a hot issue in Brazil after the deaths of four young women last month, including 21-year-old model Ana Carolina Reston.

Splashed across the front pages of newspapers nationwide, the subject has held morbid fascination for Brazilians, and was even the theme of a popular TV soap opera. It also sparked a debate within Brazil’s fashion industry.

Other countries, too, have begun to address what they see as the dangerous link between high fashion glamour and an unhealthy image of women. In September, Madrid’s Fashion week banned underweight models. Italy’s designers followed suit in December, requiring models to submit proof that they do no suffer from an eating disorder.

Bundchen, who left home for a three-month modeling job in Japan when she was 14, said family support was key to her. (AP)

Beyonce Knowles pictured doing a spot of shopping in Milan, Italy on May 11 with her younger sister Solange.