France may ban thinness

No, not for the average person. But a new bill working its way through the French National Assembly would make

No, not for the average person. But a new bill working its way through the French National Assembly would make it illegal for fashion magazines, advertisements and other media to “incite extreme thinness.”

Offenders could be fined up to $47,000 and imprisoned, said the bill’s author in an interview with the Associated Press.

The bill is the latest – and harshest – in a series of measures launched in the aftermath of the 2006 death of a Brazilian model who was suffering from anorexia.

Last month Italy launched a $1.5-million anti-anorexia awareness campaign, while Spain has banned overly thin models from its catwalks. And in Britain, models suffering from an eating disorder must prove they are in treatment or they won’t be allowed to participate in British Fashion Week in September.

What do you think about these latest measures – too extreme? Do they not go far enough? Would you like to see similar measures here?