Bachelot specifically blamed websites that promote what is referred to as the "pro-ana" movement, which elevates anorexia to a "lifestyle" choice rather than characterizing it as a disease. It is estimated that as many as 40,000 people in France are anorexic.
In 2006 the international fashion world was shaken by the deaths of two models, one Uruguayan, the other Brazilian. They had literally starved themselves to death, the Uruguayan by living on a diet of lettuce and soda, the Brazilian by eating only apples and tomatoes for three months.
That year, stick-thin models were banned from Madrid's week of designer runway shows.
The French fashion world didn't enforce a similar ban. But last year France stopped a controversial clothing advertisement from running on billboards and in publications because it featured an ultra-thin model who had written a book on her battle with eating disorders.
Authorities have also been concerned about popular websites such as Ma Bimbo, based in France, which attracts tweens and has them play a virtual game that promotes plastic surgery, aggressive dieting and use of diet pills. The English-language version of the site posted a note Wednesday saying that after the "rather surprising media attention we have decided to remove the option of purchasing diet pills from the game."
Still other sites encourage outright starvation and ask girls and young women to post photos of their frail bodies as a "thinspiration."
Although these sites and eating disorders are also ubiquitous in the United States, the proposed French law would not work in the U.S. because of the constitutional protection of free speech, according to Susan Scafidi, an expert in fashion law teaching at New York's Fordham University Law School.
"We do ban advertising of smoking in the U.S. and we take smoking into consideration for movie ratings," she noted. "But we know there is a clear link between smoking and lung cancer. No one has yet established a connection between images in magazines and skinny girls."
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geraldine.baum@latimes.com
