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Poll: Should models who are 'too thin' be banned from runways?

France is looking at bringing in new laws which could change Paris Fashion Week.

A DEBATE IS raging in Paris over whether the fashion capital should ban models deemed ‘too thin’ from the catwalk.

Modelling agencies don’t want the current system to change but the country’s health minister has backed a new law that would stop them employing models whose Body Mass Index (BMI) falls below a certain level.

“I believe that models should eat well and look after their health. This is an important message to young women who see these models as an aesthetic example,” Touraine told French television.

The parliamentary amendment would force model agencies to provide a medical certificate for each model, proving that her BMI is above a healthy level (18) or face punishment of up to six months in prison and a €75,000 fine.

The National Union of Modelling Agencies (SYNAM) complained this would affect the competitiveness of French modelling.

However, some other countries — notably Spain, Italy, Belgium, Chile and Israel — have already passed laws on the issue.

A second amendment would outlaw sites “condoning anorexia” and make it a crime to “glamorise excessive thinness.”

Gerald Marie, head of a Paris model agency, said that while any legislation that reduces anorexia is a positive development, “we shouldn’t mix things up”.

“There is anorexia and there are girls who are thin, very thin, naturally and you can make them eat all day and they would stay thin,” he told AFP.

What do you think? Should models who are deemed ‘too thin’ be banned from the runways? 


Poll Results:

Yes (8546)
No (2213)
I'm not sure (717)

With AFP

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121 Comments
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    Mute Graham Dunne
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    Apr 14th 2014, 6:52 PM

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_by_current_account_balance

    If you look at the list on that Wiki page (a few years old, but still) you can see that few countries have surpluses without having major amounts of natural resources. In fact, there are only three countries in the top 15 that don’t have huge amounts of oil and gas: China, Germany and Ireland.

    We have always boxed above our weight.

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    Mute Owl Mick
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    Apr 14th 2014, 6:37 PM

    Excellent! let’s build on this achievement

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    Mute Ignoreland
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    Apr 14th 2014, 6:44 PM

    Just waiting for somebody to comment on this story now and say that’s it’s all spin and lies and that we shouldn’t believe it ….

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    Mute richardmccarthy
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    Apr 15th 2014, 12:16 AM

    I stopped even replying to those posting everything is negative comments,it just gets so boring.

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    Mute Aaron Gregory
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    Apr 14th 2014, 6:48 PM

    This is all spin and lies….not to be believed

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    Mute Ignoreland
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    Apr 14th 2014, 6:49 PM

    Yay! I wasn’t waiting too long.

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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Apr 14th 2014, 6:34 PM

    Who knew pot pourri could be worth so much ?

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    Mute Pickart Solny
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    Apr 14th 2014, 6:56 PM

    Does this take into consideration the amount of our people that have fled the country; the long term effects of the famine or the aftermath of the flight of the earls in 1607. This government is trying to brush these events under the carpet with more spin.

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    Mute ipsum oleum
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    Apr 14th 2014, 7:49 PM

    Trying to brush stuff under the carpet with more spin has only one solution…a Dyson

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    Mute Pickart Solny
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    Apr 14th 2014, 8:13 PM

    Excellent.

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    Mute Trevor W
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    Apr 14th 2014, 10:38 PM

    Nice to see some good news among all the corruption and crime for a change.

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    Mute Prince of Burren
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    Apr 14th 2014, 7:56 PM

    Don’t forget theEamonn O Loghlin Immigration Centre in Toronto where they help 50 or so youngsters who have to leave this country for work every day.There is a lot of spin going on, however it is good to hear good news.

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    Mute Pickart Solny
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    Apr 14th 2014, 8:28 PM

    Toronto is a long way to go to work each day, although the traffic on the way home is not as bad as in the morning.

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    Mute Fergal Reid
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    Apr 14th 2014, 9:08 PM

    The jet stream really helps with the commute.

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