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Several such websites and blogs had
mushroomed since 2000 and anorexics shared experiences and tips
on subjects such as starvation, appetite suppressants, etc. on
them. There were around 400 such sites that offered tips on
subjects that ranged from extreme dieting to keeping parents in
the dark regarding the eating disorder.6 French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot, who
supported the bill, contended that there was a link between the
sociocultural/ media environment and eating disorders, and was
especially critical of these pro-anorexia websites.
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Terming the messages propagated by these websites and publications as
'death messages', she said, "Encouraging young girls to lie to their
doctors, advising them on foods that are easier to regurgitate, and
inciting them to beat themselves up each time they eat is not freedom of
expression,"7 She said that the regulators could not allow people who
propagated these messages to go unpunished.
The bill, if approved by the Senate, would make these sites illegal and
those found guilty of advertising products, objects, or methods that
could lead to excessive thinness and compromise users' health, would
face a jail term as well as a heavy fine.
If found guilty, the offenders could face up to two years in prison and
fines of €30,000 (US$47,000); in the case of such offence leading to
death, the penalty would be up to three years in prison and €45,000
(US$71,000) in fines.
The bill also sought to revise existing legislation against inciting a
person to commit suicide to include inciting a person to go in for
excessive thinness.8 Analysts felt that in addition to these websites,
the fashion industry and magazines that published photographs of
extremely thin models also ran the risk of being prosecuted.
While many have welcomed the bill and felt that it was about time that
the regulators did something about the menace, there were others who
were unhappy with it. Fashion industry representatives and advertisers,
in particular, were critical of the bill.
Isabelle Maury, editor of Elle9, said,
"It may mean that we won't be able to publish anything… I wonder how
this bill will be implemented and interpreted. If they decide to
strictly implement it, it could mean that every fashion show and
magazine will be banned or charged."10
Critics of the bill contended that there were a host of factors that led
to eating disorders, and a crackdown on the depiction of thin models in
the media alone would not help. They termed the bill intrusive and said
that they would oppose the bill.
"Never will we accept in our profession that a judge decides if a young
girl is skinny or not skinny… That doesn't exist in the world, and it
will certainly not exist in France,"11 said Didier Grumbach, president,
French Federation of Couture. Critics of the industry, however,
contended that the industry had not done enough to address this issue
and it was as a result that such regulations had become necessary.
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6] Doreen Carvajal, "French Bill Takes Chic Out of
Being too Thin," www.nytimes.com, April 16, 2007.
7] "France Targets Anorexia in the Media,"
www.news.bbc.co.uk, April 15, 2008.
8] "Key Points in French Bill that Would Make it
Illegal to Incite Anorexia," www.pr-inside.com, April 15, 2008.
9] Elle is a leading magazine that focuses on women's
fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment.
10] Molly Moore and Corinne Gavard, "France Takes
Aim at Cult of Thinness," www.washingtonpost.com, April 16, 2008.
11] Doreen Carvajal, "French Bill Takes Chic Out of
Being too Thin," www.nytimes.com, April 16, 2007. |
