Act on the image of the body in society. This is the objective displayed by the Ministry of Health following the publication in the Official Journal of two texts aimed at combating the cult of excessive thinness in the fashion world. These provisions, applicable from Saturday 6 May, had been voted in the framework of the health law of January 2016 but the implementing texts had not yet been published.
The first text concerns photos that have undergone modifications using software, in particular to refine or thicken the silhouette of the models. They will now have to indicate the mention “retouched photo” under penalty of having to pay a fine of 37,500 euros.
A compulsory medical certificate
Models will have to provide their employers with a medical certificate, issued by occupational medicine, as required by the second amendment. Valid for a maximum of two years, the certificate will take into account the overall state of health as well as the BMI (ratio between weight and height) to determine whether the person can exercise the profession of model.
Magazines or agencies which use a model without respecting this measure will risk up to six months imprisonment and a 75,000 euros fine. Models from another country in the European Economic Area coming to work in France are also affected by the text.
Other countries already on this path
Eating disorders affect 600,000 young people in France, and represent the second cause of death among 15-24 year olds, behind road accidents. Some countries have already taken measures to fight this scourge in the world of fashion. This is the case of Madrid in 2006, which banned models whose BMI was below 18.5 (threshold of thinness) from parading at Pasarela Cibeles, a major fashion event in Madrid.
In Israel, the so-called “Photoshop” law, passed in 2012, prohibits advertisements showing off skinny models, prevents agencies from hiring models with gaunt bodies, and photo editing to refine a figure without mentioning it is prohibited. Italy, Chile and Belgium had also taken similar steps.
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