A law in France which bans excessively thin models has come into effect on Friday, May 5.
According to BBC News, the law requires models to provide a doctor’s certificate attesting to their physical health, with special regard to their body mass index (BMI) ? a measure of weight in relation to height.
Additionally, digitally altered photos where a model’s appearance has been manipulated will need to be marked “photographie retouchee,” meaning retouched photograph. Employers who break this law could face fines up to 75,000 euros ($82,000) with an addition of six months in jail.
Previous forms of this bill which had suggested a minimum BMI for models have been brought up, where modelling agencies in France reacted negatively through protests.
With anorexia affecting between 30,000 to 40,000 people in France and 90% of whom are women, the health ministry is taking the necessary actions to prevent eating disorders and unrealistic ideals of beauty in the fashion industry.
In order to maintain the slimmest physique of models, many modelling agencies and brands have enforced rigorous and unimaginable measures. There have been instances when models had to go through substance abuse, poor working conditions and sexual harassment in order to achieve the body that their companies desired.
Exposing young people to unrealistic body images can lead to poor self-esteem, which can greatly impact health-related behavior. Extremely thin models negatively influence young people to achieve the same body by any means, which is an evident cause of anorexia.
In concerns of these prevalent issues, the government has finally taken a step forward in ensuring models the protection they deserve and setting a reasonable measure of body standards. However, now other countries must take the same initiative, as similar instances still continue to occur today.
Along with France, other countries such as Italy, Spain and Israel have also legislated on underweight models in regards of these problems.
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Selina Chong, Sunny Hills HS, 11th Grade>
