France, home to several world-famous fashion houses, has passed a law banning the use of unnaturally thin models in fashion shows, the BBC reported.
Fashion companies and modeling agents face a fine of more than $80,000 and possibly six months in jail if they use models with a Body Mass Index that's below 18 - which health experts say falls within a healthy weight range. Members of parliament's National Assembly lower house overwhelmingly approved the ban on Friday as part of a larger amendment to the Health Bill.
"Anyone whose body mass index...is below a certain level will not be able to work as a catwalk model," according to the bill, which is now awaiting approval by the Senate, the BBC reported.
Socialist MP Oliver Veran, who proposed the bill, said models would have to show proof in the form of a medical certificate that their BMI is at least 18. Agencies would also face punishment if they force models to loose an unhealthy amount of weight, Veran told the news channel BFMTV.
The measure faced backlash from the National Union of Modeling Agencies, which claimed it would negatively impact the competitiveness of French modeling.
But women's rights advocates and doctors in the country where the average BMI for women is 23.2 say the fashion industry has long promoted unobtainable and unhealthy standards of beauty, the BBC reported.
The law represents a nationwide effort to reduce levels of rampant anorexia. An estimated 40,000 people suffer from anorexia in France, most of them women, according to the BBC. Lawmakers also made sure to include penalties in the new law for websites that promote anorexia and unhealthy weight loss.