France Likely To Ban Ultra Thin Models

Following in the steps of Italy, Spain and Israel, France is soon likely to ban the use of excessively thin fashion models on runways and in advertisements.

The new legislation which was debated on tuesday in parliament includes Modeling agencies having to get medical certificates from models proving that their body mass index is at least 18. Further there would also be mandatory weight checks. There would be fines of up to $79,000 and six months' jail time for agencies and their employers for violation of the law.

The measures which have been proposed by Dr. Olivier Veran, a doctor and French lawmaker comes eight years after the death of French model Isabelle Caro, who suffered from anorexia and died in 2010, three years after she posed nude in a controversial ad campaign against anorexia.

Marisol Touraine, France's minister of social affairs, expressed her support for the new anti-anorexia measures in an interview with CNN affiliate BFMTV. "The approach is good," she said, adding that the government will have to examine the wording of the new legislation in further detail.

If passed, the law will ensure that models meet a BMI of 18 and weigh at least 121 pounds for a height of 5'7". The bill would also penalize pro-anorexia websites.