Earlier this year, we reported that France had passed a bill that would soon be imposing a series of regulations on the weight and size of models working in the country. As of Friday, this bill has been made into a law. The new legislation now states that models working in France must present a medical certificate attesting to their health and show that their BMI is appropriate for their size. Anyone found in violation of this law could be looking at up to six months in prison or a €75,000 (approx. USD $81,859) fine.
It’s an attempt by the French government to fight against the country’s growing epidemic of eating disorders, but most insiders believe this will do nothing more than body shame thinner models and ignore the bigger, underlying issues. “Out of nowhere, [lawmakers] came up with the BMI, creating confusion between anorexia nervosa and thinness, while punishing the French agencies only,” Isabelle Saint-Félix, general secretary of Synam, France’s union of model agencies, told WWD. “It’s scandalous. It’s very French. If there’s one profession where you need to think international, it’s modeling. There’s no reason to have a different system for different countries.”
Due to the international nature of modeling, the law is causing a great deal of confusion in the industry since many of the girls are foreigners flying in for a quick job before returning home. It’s unclear if a certificate from a model’s country of origin is sufficient or if they need to be seen by a French physician. Saint-Félix believes that while the law’s intentions are good, it could lead to shows, events and shoots being moved from France in the near future.
