Anorexic Model
The French fashion industry has joined the fight against size zero with draft law meaning possible jail sentences for those who promote it.
A new law, to be debated next week, could mean up to three years in jail and a £36,000 fine if a website, magazine or any other media outlet is seen to promote an image that provokes the death of an anorexia sufferer.
Promoting an unhealthy body image alone would carry a two year jail sentence.
The news of the proposal came as key figures in the industry signed a government-backed voluntary charter on promoting healthy body image yesterday
The document asks the industry to display "a diversity of body representations" and "not to show images of people that could help promote a model of extreme thinness."
This move comes after worldwide concern over health issues in the modelling world following the anorexia-related deaths of several South American models in 2006, including Brazilian Ana Carolina Reston.
The French Health Ministry says about 30,000 to 40,000 people suffer from anorexia in France, and this is far less than in Britain yet the Britsh fashion industry are still lagging behind other countries when it comes to taking action to regulate the health of the models they use.
Madrid and Milan fashion industries have already banned women whose body mass ratio is below 18 after supermodel Luisel Ramos dropped dead backstage at a show following three months of living off salad and diet coke.
Despite last year's Model Health Inquiry Britain still refuses to follow suit.
Threats of London Fashion Week funding being pulled by the Mayor of London forced the BFC to release a half hearted report and set of proposals for a voluntary code but still no hint of a ban on dangerously thin models.
What do you think? Is it about time that Britain stood up to be counted in the fight against unhealthy body image? Or will a ban lead to discrimination and neglect a person's individual right to choose what size they are?
Caz Moss- Female First