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French Fashion Industry fights anorexia
PARIS (AP) Key members of the French fashion industry signed a government-backed charter Wednesday aimed at fighting against anorexia and promoting healthy body images.
The document, backed by the Health Ministry, asks signatories to work toward "a diversity of body representations" and "not to show images of people that could help promote a model of extreme thinness."
The international fashion industry has drawn criticism for stressing the super-thin look. Concerns about anorexia have grown in France and around the world since the reportedly anorexia-related deaths of several South American models in 2006, including Brazilian Ana Carolina Reston.
Guidelines have been in place in France since the 1980s to regulate French modeling agencies, including mandatory medical visits for models under 16.
The nonbinding charter was signed by groups including the French Couture Federation, the French Federation for Women's Pret-a-Porter and the Union of Modeling Agencies, as well as some representatives of advertising and media.
Officials in other countries have taken much more dramatic measures to promote healthy body images. The Madrid fashion show bans women whose body mass-to-height ratio is below 18, while Milan bans models below 18.5.
However, another much tougher, and more contested, measure against eating disorders is to go before France's parliament this month.
Valerie Boyer, a lawmaker from President Nicolas Sarkozy's party, has proposed a bill to make it possible to convict people responsible for Web sites or fashion ads that promote anorexia, with penalties of up to two years in prison and over $47,000 in fines.
The bill is set to go before the National Assembly next week.
The French Health Ministry says about 30,000 to 40,000 people suffer from anorexia in France, the vast majority women.
The document, backed by the Health Ministry, asks signatories to work toward "a diversity of body representations" and "not to show images of people that could help promote a model of extreme thinness."
The international fashion industry has drawn criticism for stressing the super-thin look. Concerns about anorexia have grown in France and around the world since the reportedly anorexia-related deaths of several South American models in 2006, including Brazilian Ana Carolina Reston.
Guidelines have been in place in France since the 1980s to regulate French modeling agencies, including mandatory medical visits for models under 16.
The nonbinding charter was signed by groups including the French Couture Federation, the French Federation for Women's Pret-a-Porter and the Union of Modeling Agencies, as well as some representatives of advertising and media.
Officials in other countries have taken much more dramatic measures to promote healthy body images. The Madrid fashion show bans women whose body mass-to-height ratio is below 18, while Milan bans models below 18.5.
However, another much tougher, and more contested, measure against eating disorders is to go before France's parliament this month.
Valerie Boyer, a lawmaker from President Nicolas Sarkozy's party, has proposed a bill to make it possible to convict people responsible for Web sites or fashion ads that promote anorexia, with penalties of up to two years in prison and over $47,000 in fines.
The bill is set to go before the National Assembly next week.
The French Health Ministry says about 30,000 to 40,000 people suffer from anorexia in France, the vast majority women.
But soon it'll go a step further:
France may make it illegal to promote extreme thinness
PARIS - The French parliament's lower house adopted a groundbreaking bill Tuesday that would make it illegal for anyone including fashion magazines, advertisers and Web sites to publicly incite extreme thinness.
The National Assembly approved the bill in a series of votes Tuesday, after the legislation won unanimous support from the ruling conservative UMP party. It goes to the Senate in the coming weeks.
Fashion industry experts said that, if passed, the law would be the strongest of its kind anywhere. Leaders in French couture are opposed to the idea of legal boundaries on beauty standards.
The bill was the latest and strongest of measures proposed after the 2006 anorexia-linked death of a Brazilian model prompted efforts throughout the international fashion industry to address the repercussions of using ultra-thin models.
Conservative lawmaker Valery Boyer, author of the law, argued that encouraging anorexia or severe weight loss should be punishable in court.
Doctors and psychologists treating patients with anorexia nervosa a disorder characterized by an abnormal fear of becoming overweight welcomed the government's efforts to fight self-inflicted starvation, but warned that its link with media images remains hazy.
French lawmakers and fashion industry members signed a nonbinding charter last week on promoting healthier body images. Spain in 2007 banned ultra-thin models from catwalks.
But Boyer said such measures did not go far enough.
Her bill has mainly brought focus to pro-anorexic Web sites that give advice on how to eat an apple a day and nothing else.
But Boyer insisted in her speech to lawmakers Tuesday that the legislation was much broader and could, in theory, be used against many facets of the fashion industry.
It would give judges the power to imprison and fine offenders up to $47,000 if found guilty of "inciting others to deprive themselves of food" to an "excessive" degree, Boyer said in a telephone interview before the parliamentary session.
Judges could also sanction those responsible for a magazine photo of a model whose "excessive thinness ... altered her health," she said.
Boyer said she was focusing on women's health, though the bill applies to models of both sexes. The French Health Ministry says most of the 30,000 to 40,000 people with anorexia in France are women.
Didier Grumbach, president of the influential French Federation of Couture, said he was not aware how broad the proposed legislation was, and made no secret of his strong disapproval of such a sweeping measure.
"Never will we accept in our profession that a judge decides if a young girl is skinny or not skinny," he said. "That doesn't exist in the world, and it will certainly not exist in France."
Marleen S. Williams, a psychology professor at Brigham Young University in Utah who researches the media's effect on anorexic women, said it was nearly impossible to prove that the media causes eating disorders.
Williams said studies show fewer eating disorders in "cultures that value full-bodied women." Yet with the new French legal initiative, she fears, "you're putting your finger in one hole in the dike, but there are other holes, and it's much more complex than that."
A comment from someone at the coal face....
For those of you in this industry, you will know to separate politics from reality! Much of this has come about because of the fashion industry feeling it has to be seen to taking some action against its critics. The motives for much of this has little to do with helping fight anorexia nor from a genuine concern for us models.
First do have a read of my previous general thoughts on the whole Size O debate on this page here.....
http://www.fashionising.com/forums/t--The-skinny-model-debate-473-3.html
Some words to note from this article are that it is "non-binding", also some of the facts in there are wrong but good to see the mention that " Doctors and psychologists treating patients with anorexia nervosa a disorder characterized by an abnormal fear of becoming overweight welcomed the government's efforts to fight self-inflicted starvation, but warned that its link with media images remains hazy." So true. Images alone of skinny girls are not the problem. Social groups on or off line where girls egg each other on by using such pictures to be slimmer and slimmer, are dangerous. Pro-ana sites are dangerous. A picture of a skinny model in Vogue is not; do the research for yourself and find out. Anorexia has many complex causes and to simplify it is to show ignorance of it, or political spin.
The top agencies here and all over the world do care and look after their models; it is in their interest to do this and anorexia is but one of many problems that have to be watched for including drugs, drink and depression. What the agency looks for is physical and mental health NOT a BMI which is just a crass way to assess someone. I have been looked after very well and most of my freind have too:):)
There are two levels going on here in the fashion industry, the headline political moves (we have to be seen to be doing something and that something is what the general press what us to do) and underneath a completely separate set of moves to try and actually help models well being. For those that haven't read the " Fashioning a Healthy Future -0The Report of the Model Health Inquiry September 2007" it is well worth a read and although some of the recommendations were shoved in there we feel for political consumption and are wrong, some of the others are really worthy and have been semi-implemented now.
In summary, this is not the "French Fashion Industry Fighting Anorexia" at all. It is the political knee jerk and is causing some consternation internally here. Trying to put legal boundaries on what looks good, who can use what sort of model, is NOT good for anyone let alone a free society and is an anathema to the French. What is good and needs much more focus on, is firstly with regard to models, recognising that is their mental and physical health that is the most important, not how they look. Some models are beautiful to look at, though ribby and under 18 BMI but are also happy healthy and full of energy and love this career! Secondly what needs much more focus on is the real causes of anorexia and money and support for its treatment together with bringing general awareness of this complex mental illness to the public in a proper informed manner and not by splashing pictures of models across the front page to sell some papers or bringing in face saving daft ill considered legalisation into the fashion domain.
Alicia
xx
Paris
For those of you in this industry, you will know to separate politics from reality! Much of this has come about because of the fashion industry feeling it has to be seen to taking some action against its critics. The motives for much of this has little to do with helping fight anorexia nor from a genuine concern for us models.
First do have a read of my previous general thoughts on the whole Size O debate on this page here.....
http://www.fashionising.com/forums/t--The-skinny-model-debate-473-3.html
Some words to note from this article are that it is "non-binding", also some of the facts in there are wrong but good to see the mention that " Doctors and psychologists treating patients with anorexia nervosa a disorder characterized by an abnormal fear of becoming overweight welcomed the government's efforts to fight self-inflicted starvation, but warned that its link with media images remains hazy." So true. Images alone of skinny girls are not the problem. Social groups on or off line where girls egg each other on by using such pictures to be slimmer and slimmer, are dangerous. Pro-ana sites are dangerous. A picture of a skinny model in Vogue is not; do the research for yourself and find out. Anorexia has many complex causes and to simplify it is to show ignorance of it, or political spin.
The top agencies here and all over the world do care and look after their models; it is in their interest to do this and anorexia is but one of many problems that have to be watched for including drugs, drink and depression. What the agency looks for is physical and mental health NOT a BMI which is just a crass way to assess someone. I have been looked after very well and most of my freind have too:):)
There are two levels going on here in the fashion industry, the headline political moves (we have to be seen to be doing something and that something is what the general press what us to do) and underneath a completely separate set of moves to try and actually help models well being. For those that haven't read the " Fashioning a Healthy Future -0The Report of the Model Health Inquiry September 2007" it is well worth a read and although some of the recommendations were shoved in there we feel for political consumption and are wrong, some of the others are really worthy and have been semi-implemented now.
In summary, this is not the "French Fashion Industry Fighting Anorexia" at all. It is the political knee jerk and is causing some consternation internally here. Trying to put legal boundaries on what looks good, who can use what sort of model, is NOT good for anyone let alone a free society and is an anathema to the French. What is good and needs much more focus on, is firstly with regard to models, recognising that is their mental and physical health that is the most important, not how they look. Some models are beautiful to look at, though ribby and under 18 BMI but are also happy healthy and full of energy and love this career! Secondly what needs much more focus on is the real causes of anorexia and money and support for its treatment together with bringing general awareness of this complex mental illness to the public in a proper informed manner and not by splashing pictures of models across the front page to sell some papers or bringing in face saving daft ill considered legalisation into the fashion domain.
Alicia
xx
Paris
I am not in or near the modelling industry, but I have a daughter who has suffered from several eating disorders - still does. Our whole family has been through hell with it.
(And, by the way, we a 50% French family.)
Was it caused by the media? NO
Was it helped by the media? NO
My main observation is that this law - like many other French attempts at laws - i.e. headscarves - is totally missing the boat.
(And, by the way, we a 50% French family.)
Was it caused by the media? NO
Was it helped by the media? NO
My main observation is that this law - like many other French attempts at laws - i.e. headscarves - is totally missing the boat.
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