France has now banned unhealthily thin models from the catwalk

Smart move

In a groundbreaking move, France has now officially banned the use of unhealthily thin fashion models from mags and the catwalk at Paris Fashion Week.

Models will now need to provide a doctor’s certificate to prove they’re healthy enough to work, based on their weight, the age and body shape.

Doctors will also look at their BMI, though that’s not the deciding factor, and they will look at their age and general health to spot eating disorders.

Plus, from October, any pics that have been modified will have to be marked ‘photography retouchée’ aka retouched photograph to offer complete transparency.

France’s Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Marisol Touraine, said, ‘Exposing young people to normative and unrealistic images of bodies leads to a sense of self-depreciation and poor self-esteem that can impact health-related behaviour.’

She carried on, ‘These two texts aim to act on body image in society to avoid the promotion of inaccessible beauty ideals and to prevent anorexia in young people. The objective is also to protect the health of a sector of the population particularly at risk – models.’

The law was originally passed by the National Assembly in 2015 but has only now come into effect. Any employer breaking the law could be fined up to €75,000 (about £63,500) and faces up to six months in jail.

Anorexia affects 30,000 to 40,000 people in France, 90% of which are women, and this will hopefully help reduce this number.

France follows in the footsteps of Italy, Spain and Israel, and that now makes two major Fashion Week players on board with a healthier body image.

Time will tell whether the UK and US follow suit.