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| Following the Fashion (Gillray, 1794) |
For a long time, “skinny” has been vigorously promoted by the media.
Weight-loss products and regimens abound. Fashion
models often look as though they might not make it to the end of the runway.
France now joins Spain, Israel and Italy in taking action against this alarming trend. Paris
Reuters reports that all four countries have legislated against “too-thin models on catwalks
or in advertising campaigns.”
In France, "skinny" is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) that “is lower than levels proposed by health authorities and decreed by the ministers of health and labour.”
This translates into models needing “a BMI of at least 18, about 55 kg (121 lb) for a height of 1.75 metres (5.7 feet), before being hired for a job and for a few weeks afterwards.”
Not only that, websites “encouraging eating restrictions for a prolonged period of time…,” will be subject to fines and prison time.
Is this yet another case of too much government intervention, or is it simply a health-promoting measure? There’s a thin line here that might have been crossed…
Resources
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/france-bans-skinny-models-in-anorexia-clamp-down/ar-AAaohae
Copyright April 3, 2015 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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