The French parliament has officially passed the proposed law that outlaws models who are too thin. Under the new law, any company in France that hires a model who doesn't meet the health requirements will face up to six months in jail and a fine of 75,000 euros (or $82,000).
The bill states that "the activity of model is banned for any person whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is lower than levels proposed by health authorities." Models must meet a BMI of at least 18, which means a 5-foot-7 model would need to weigh about 121 pounds.
The new law also takes aim at websites that promote unhealthy body images. Owners of these websites, which are defined by the bill as ones that advocates readers to "seek excessive thinness by encouraging eating restrictions for a prolonged period of time," face a potential year in jail and a 100,000 euros (or $101,000) fine.
It's a step in the right direction, and one that heads down the same path of other countries, including Italy, Spain and Israel, which have all banned super-skinny models. Some models have argued BMI is not a perfect indicator of good health. However, without a better barometer, this may be the best imperfect solution to a problem that is causing harm not just to the models, but the women trying to chase these standards.
[via Reuters]
