Community Chat

[newziesuzie]

This might be hard to enforce but seems like steps in the right direction.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/03/us-france-anorexia-idUSKBN0MU0JK20150403

(Reuters) - France will ban excessively thin fashion models and expose modeling agents and the fashion houses that hire them to possible fines and even jail, under a new law passed on Friday.

The move by France, with its fashion and luxury industries worth tens of billions of euros, comes after a similar ban by Israel in 2013, while other countries, like Italy and Spain, rely on voluntary codes of conduct to protect models.

The measure is part of a campaign against anorexia by President Francois Hollande's government.

Lawmakers also made it illegal to condone anorexia and said any re-touched photo that alters the bodily appearance of a model for commercial purposes must carry a message stating it had been manipulated.

"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," the legislation says.

The lawmaker behind the bill previously said models would have to present a medical certificate showing a BMI of at least 18, about 55 kg (121 lb) for a height of 1.75 meters (5.7 feet), before being hired for a job and for a few weeks afterwards.

The law, voted through the lower house of parliament by Hollande's Socialist majority despite opposition by conservative parliamentarians, envisages imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of 75,000 euros ($82,000) for any agency contravening it.

A second measure means that any website inciting a reader to "seek excessive thinness by encouraging eating restrictions for a prolonged period of time, resulting in risk of mortality or damage to health" will face up to a year in prison and fines of up to 100,000 euros.

Elite and IMG, two big modeling agencies present in France, both declined to comment on the moves.

Some 30,000-40,000 people in France suffer from anorexia, most of them teenagers, health experts estimate.

In 2010, Isabelle Caro, an anorexic 28-year-old former French fashion model, died after posing for a photographic campaign to raise awareness about the illness.

[jessa]

We saw this on the news tonight......sure hope it means change is happening so we stop glorifying the overly thin waif look which I think started with the awful ""heroin chic"" model fashion trend.....

[brewhaha]

The oui oui don't want the wee wee?

[sidsmom]

Can't help but think this is discrimination. What's good for the goose, is good for the gander. If they start outlawing skinny, then they need to begin outlawing fat. And see how that goes. Slippery slope.

[brii]

good

[hckynut]

Who decides and what medical criteria will they use as "being in the NORM Range"? Much like here, looks like France too, wants more control over the lives of their citizens.

If they want to be thin, let them. If they are worried about health issues they are looking at the wrong numbers end of the scale.

[Vivian]

Although this proposal seems extreme, it may be the only way to stop the extreme emaciation of Paris's high fashion models. Two have already died of anorexia. And when coutourier Karl Lagerfeld says that Heidi Klum is fat, which happened a couple of years ago, you know there's a problem. I have been to France many times. In Paris, some of the so-called stylish women I've seen are skeletal...and it's not just the teenagers. A standard of beauty that is dangerous is unacceptable. I think that the French government decided enough is enough, and if the fashion industry doesn't change voluntarily then the government will step in.

[Puzzle Piece]

Wow, I thought it was a females choice on what to do with their body.

[sidsmom]

****France Bans Super-Skinny Models in Anorexia Clampdown ***

Hypothetical:

****US Gov't Bans Super-Fat Office/Retail Workers in Heart-Attack/Diabetes Clampdown ***

Wow...the fur would FLY, yes??! So if I'm earning an honest living, the government is going to take that away from me if I'm overweight? See how ludicrous France is? That's crazy talk to ban someone from working. The public will dictate if this model will work or not...your wallet should make that very clear.

[jessa]

On 4/5/2015 Vivian said: Although this proposal seems extreme, it may be the only way to stop the extreme emaciation of Paris's high fashion models. Two have already died of anorexia. And when coutourier Karl Lagerfeld says that Heidi Klum is fat, which happened a couple of years ago, you know there's a problem. I have been to France many times. In Paris, some of the so-called stylish women I've seen are skeletal...and it's not just the teenagers. A standard of beauty that is dangerous is unacceptable. I think that the French government decided enough is enough, and if the fashion industry doesn't change voluntarily then the government will step in.

Good points........thinking about what Sidsmom said too tho so I need to read more details & see also what the French people are saying..........