France bans Ultra thin models

Following up on proposed legislations last month, France made a big move on Friday April 3, with its passing of a bill making it a criminal offense to employ dangerously skinny women on the catwalk.

Joining Israel, Spain and Italy in the ongoing effort to try to stamp anorexia out of the fashion industry the French bill declares: “The activity of model is banned for any person whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is lower than levels proposed by health authorities and decreed by the ministers of health and labor."

Under the law, agencies employing models with a BMI under 18, risks a maximum six-month prison term and a €75,000 (?55,000) fine. Similarly, magazines will also have to systematically indicate when a photograph of a model has been digitally "touched up" to make her look skinnier or bulkier on pain of a €37,500 fine or up to 30 per cent of the sums spent on advertising.

Models are required to present a bill of health that proves their BMI (body mass index) is at least 18. While doctors say a normal BMI for adults is between 18.5 and 24.9, some critics argue that the use of BMI as a health indicator is not the best way of judging a healthy weight since the measurement is calculated based on weight and height alone, and doesn’t account for differences in muscle and body types, and can’t determine if someone is naturally thin or actually suffering from an eating disorder.

The bill was paired with another recent bill that bans pro-anorexia websites that offer “thinspiration”. Those running "thinspirational" websites risk a maximum year's imprisonment and a fine of €10,000 for "provoking people to excessive thinness by encouraging prolonged dietary restrictions that could expose them to a danger of death or directly impair their health".

While the bill has been embraced by doctors and womens rights groups it has been up in arms amongst France's fashion fraternity. Several argue that that the approach would disadvantage the country's models with agencies choosing to employ foreign models.

What do you think of the ban? Sound of on twitter using the hashtag #lovefmd.