In an effort to crackdown on anorexia, French Parliamentarians have voted to ban ultra-thin catwalk models from walking down the runway.
"Anyone whose body mass index… is below a certain level will not be able to work as a catwalk model," says the new amendment.
According to the new law, agencies that employ models considered unhealthily thin could be fined up to 75,000 euros ($85,000) and six months in prison.
"The prospect of such a punishment will have the effect of regulating the entire sector," said Olivier Veran, the deputy who proposed outlawing skinny models, claiming similar measure had been taken in Spain, Italy and Israel.
Earlier in March, France’s Minister of Health, Marisol Touraine, stressed that young models should "eat well and look after their health."
"This is an important message to young women who see these models as an aesthetic example," she added.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Modelling Agencies protested such promotions, arguing that they would affect the competitiveness of French modelling.
The law was aimed at "pro-ana" websites that many believe promote excessive skinniness.
Around 40,000 people in France suffer from Anorexia, nine out of ten of whom are women, according to the health ministry.
