France Bans Ultra-Thin Models in Bid to Clamp Down on Anorexia

France's Parliament has passed a groundbreaking new law that will make it a crime to use anorexic models or encourage anorexia, as authorities seek ways to crack down on the constant public displays of dangerously thin women.

According to the new law, the Body Mass Index (BMI) of fashion models must now be above a certain level. Israel and Spain have already passed similar laws earlier.

The lower house of the French Parliament adopted the amendment on models Friday, as part of a larger public health bill working its way through the legislature. After that, the bill goes to a full vote next week before finally going to the Senate.

"In the bill, I suggest that from now on, a model must go through a medical visit before she is hired, which would evaluate the body mass index, which is calculated by dividing the weight over the height squared," said Olivier Veran, the Socialist parliament member behind the legislation.

"I suggest that the medical certificate for work ability cannot be delivered to people who are undernourished and who, therefore, are putting their life and health in danger," he said.

If the law gets passed then the level depending on height and weight will be clearly defined as per decree. Any modeling agency or person found paying a model below the index could face imprisonment of up to six months and 75,000 euros in fine if convicted.

According to the World Health Organization, a body mass index of under 18.5 is considered to be "underweight," while the UK's National Health Service said that anorexic adults tend to have a body mass index of less than 17.5, equivalent to a 5-foot-7, 112-pound woman.

The minimum BMI for models would be determined at a later date if the law is officially approved.