In a crackdown against anorexia, the French Parliament on Friday voted in favor of banning anorexic catwalk models in order to stop the glorification of dangerously thin women.
The most image-conscious cities on the Earth made the hiring of ultra-thin models crime despite a wave of protests from modeling industry in the fashion capital of the world.
“Anyone whose body mass index… is below a certain level will not be able to work as a catwalk model,” according to the amendment voted in the National Assembly Lower House of Parliament.
Under the new law, the modeling agencies found hiring ultra-skinny models for work could be fined up to 75,000 euros (or USD 85,000) and six months of imprisonment.
Olivier Veran, the deputy who proposed the amendment in the Parliament, said, “The prospect of such a punishment will have the effect of regulating the whole sector.”
Health Minister Marisol Touraine has also strongly suggested a healthy diet for young models and opposed anorexia.
“This is an important message to young women who see these models as an aesthetic example,” Touraine said.
Other nations like Spain and Israel have also taken similar action against anorexia.
Olivier Veran, a legislator who batted for the anorexia measure, said, “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.”
Meanwhile, the National Union of Modeling Agencies has expressed disappointment over the banning decision, saying this would adversely affect the competitiveness in the modeling industry.
According to the reports, an estimated 40,000 people in the country suffer from anorexia. Moreover, nine out of 10 sufferers are women and girls.
