FRANCE BANS ANOREXIC MODELS
East County News Service
April 4, 2015 (San Diego) – Super-skinny models will no longer be strutting the fashion runways in Paris. On Friday, France, a leader in the fashion industry, passed a new law that bans anorexic models. The measure also imposes fines and prison time for fashion houses or agents who employ underweight models.
Models must obtain a medical certificate showing a body mass index that is appropriate for their height before being hired, and again a few weeks after getting the job.
France joins similar bans passed by Italy and Spain to protect the health of women and girls in the modeling industry. The move comes after the death of Isabelle Caro, a French fashion model who died in 2010 who raised awareness about her battle with anorexia through a media campaign.
In addition to banning use of anorexic models, the new law also prohibits publication of photos altered to make models look thinner, unless the photo carries a message stating that the image was changed. Websites that promote anorexia will also be outlawed in France.
The action was controversial, with some arguing that French fashion models could be at a disadvantage vying against foreign models worldwide. But health concerns won out, and more nations are now considering bans on overly thin models, such as Brazil.
Anorexia, or self-starvation, can result in heart weakness, high blood pressure, loss of bone density and death. Anorexia has the highest death rate of any psychiatric disorder.
Reuters reports that in France, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 people suffer from anorexia, and 90% of them are teenagers.
In the U.S., the problem is even more extensive. An estimated 20 million women and 10 million men in the U.S. suffer from eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders. Unrealistic portrayals of idealized body types in media and the fashion industry contribute to self-image problems, particularly in young people, medical experts say.
For more information on eating disorders, visit www.NationalEatingDisorders.org .