PARIS — In one of the most image-conscious cities on earth, France’s Parliament has moved to make it a crime to use anorexic models or encourage anorexia, as authorities try to crack down on the glorification of dangerously thin women.
Other countries including Israel and Spain have taken similar action. The French measures would only apply within France, but could have symbolic impact beyond, because of its outsized influence in setting style trends around the world.
“It’s not just about protecting the models but also teenagers, because this body-image pressure also affects them and contributes to the emergence of eating disorders and tendencies to eat less and less,” said Olivier Veran, a neurologist and legislator who championed the anorexia measure.
The lower house of Parliament adopted the amendment on models last week, as part of a larger public health bill working its way through the legislature.