Fashion forward France clamps down on use of ’dangerously thin women’
Other countries including Israel and Spain have taken similar action. The French measures would only apply within France, but could have symbolic impact beyond, because of its influence in setting style trends around the world.
“It’s not just about protecting the models but also teenagers, because this body-image pressure also affects them and contributes to the emergence of eating disorders and tendencies to eat less and less”, said Olivier Veran, a neurologist and legislator who championed the anorexia measure.
The lower house of parliament adopted the amendment on models as part of a larger public health bill working its way through the legislature.
The bill goes to a full vote next week, and then goes to the Senate.
The amendment forbids anyone with a body mass index below a certain level from earning money as a model. The level, based on height and weight, would be defined later by decree if the law is definitively passed.
Any modelling agency or person who pays a model below that index would face up to six months in prison and €75,000 in fines if convicted.
The French Fashion Federation did not comment.
The World Health Organisation says that a body mass index of less than 18.5 is “underweight,” and this is the figure the HSE also uses on its website.
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