Goodbye To Skinny Models

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

Since last Friday, models in France have been required to present a medical report attesting that their weight is healthy before setting foot on the catwalk.

With this measure, which was first proposed in 2015 by the French National Assembly, it is about avoiding promoting anorexia and ideals of beauty unattainable in the fashion world. Designers, casting directors, and other fashion professionals who break the rule could face fines of up to $ 82,000 and six months in jail.

But what is meant by a healthy weight? The World Health Organization (WHO) uses a barometer as a measure known as BMI (body mass index) and is calculated by dividing a person's weight by their height. Using that index, a person is considered to be excessively thin when their BMI is less than 18.5, but, according to a report by Refinery 29, most of the models that work the most these days do not even reach 16, which considered "severe thinness".

However, when the measure was first proposed, several agencies and model representatives were quick to criticize it, providing studies that ensure that BMI is not enough to determine whether or not a person is healthy, and finally it was agreed that the Mannequins must provide a note from a doctor stating that they are considered "healthy".

"Exposing young people to images of surreal bodies leads to a feeling of contempt and low self-esteem that can impact their health," French Health Minister Marisol Touraine said in a statement to the press.

After the entry into force of the controversial measure in France, it will be the turn of magazines, advertisers and web pages, which from October 1 will have to notify when the image of a model has been digitally manipulated, marking the photo with the words "photographie retouchée". Is it the beginning of a new era?