France, home of the catwalk, bans excessively thin models

IN ACCORDANCE with a motion raised earlier in the year, French MPs voted on December 17, to ban the use of fashion models who are considered “excessively thin” and models will therefore need to be able to supply a doctor’s certificate confirming that they are able meet a number of fitness criteria.

An initial version of the bill was much more draconian and was bitterly opposed by model agencies in France but this compromise decision still leaves owners of companies who break the law liable to six months imprisonment and a fine of up to €75,000.

The new law also requires that any digitally altered images making a model appear smaller or larger should be labelled accordingly.

France joins Israel, Italy and Spain who all banned the use of very thin models in advertising campaigns in 2013 and as recently reported, Inditex, Spanish owners of Lefties agreed to remove ‘anorexic looking’ mannequins from their windows following an online petition.

It is reported that anorexia affects between 30,000 and 40,000 people in France the vast majority of which are women.