12-21-2015 Paris, France – French officials just passed a bill that requires models to have a medical certificate that states that they’re healthy, not dangerously thin. Before walking down a runway or posing in front of a camera. Models without this certificate will be banned from the fashion capitals catwalks and advertisements. The official document issued by a doctor must confirm “The state of health of the model, assessed with regard to her body mass index (BMI), is compatible with the exercise of her profession, and employers, designers and brands. The brands and employers who fail to provide a certificate could face up to six months in jail and a fine of €75,000.
France has been working on this bill to ban excessively thin models off the runways and advertisement spaces for quite some time in their efforts to protect the younger generation from the effects of the negative self image it creates. They see it as a great succes in their mission to support the guys and girls that are extremely unhappy in the industry. The same bill also requires magazines and adertisers to note when something has been Photoshopped by including fine print that says it’s a “retouched photograph.” That’s, of course,most photographs, so get used to seeing that technicality around a lot.
This is all in an effort to help body image issues throughout France and, to some extent, around the world. “Images of the body idolizing excessive thinness or wasting, and stigmatizing curves, undeniably contribute to unhappiness — especially among many young girls,” the bill states. “The appearance of some models helps to spread potentially dangerous stereotypes for fragile populations.” According to statistics, there are between 30,000 and 40,000 people with anorexia in France, and 20% of girls have restricted food intake at some point in their lives.
Not only will the bill ensure that models are healthy, but its impact will extend far beyond the runway. Italy, Spain and Israel have already passed similar laws; we are hoping other countries will follow the example set by these nations. although not everyone seems to support that vision.
Source: Teen vogue
Image Credits: Oliviero Toscani/ Nolita.
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