Under the legislation, passed yesterday, magazines are also required to label any digitally-altered images as “touched up.”
The bill states that in France, between 30,000 and 40,000 people suffer from anorexia, and 1 in 5 girls adopt restrictive eating habits at some point in their lives. “Images of the body idolizing excessive thinness or wasting, and stigmatizing curves,” it says, “undeniably contribute to unhappiness—especially among many young girls.”
The legislation is designed to protect models, who will not face penalties if they are not found complying with the law. Instead the employer will face up to six months in jail and a fine of up to 75,000 euros.