France To Outlaw The Promotion of Extreme Thinness

[Athena]

I covered this issue when Spain made similar efforts last year. I should have figured that wouldn't be the end of it...

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080415/capt.3b34de57ff5a4b72a1123e94e4d4aff0.france_anore xia_par102.jpg

France takes up body image law
By DEVORAH LAUTER, Associated Press Writer
Tue Apr 15, 8:04 AM ET

PARIS - The French parliament's lower house adopted a groundbreaking bill Tuesday that would make it illegal for anyone — including fashion magazines, advertisers and Web sites — to publicly incite extreme thinness.

The National Assembly approved the bill in a series of votes Tuesday, after the legislation won unanimous support from the ruling conservative UMP party. It goes to the Senate in the coming weeks.

Fashion industry experts said that, if passed, the law would be the strongest of its kind anywhere. Leaders in French couture are opposed to the idea of legal boundaries on beauty standards.

Conservative lawmaker Valery Boyer, author of the law, argued that encouraging anorexia or severe weight loss should be punishable in court.

Doctors and psychologists treating patients with anorexia nervosa — a disorder characterized by an abnormal fear of becoming overweight — welcomed the government's efforts to fight self-inflicted starvation, but warned that its link with media images remains hazy.

French lawmakers and fashion industry members signed a nonbinding charter last week on promoting healthier body images. Spain in 2007 banned ultra-thin models from catwalks.

Full article (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080415/ap_on_re_eu/france_anorexia)

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"Conservative" must have a very different meaning in French politics. Admittedly, I don't keep up with foreign political theory. Either that, or this lawmaker is stepping way outside of traditional party lines to advocate something like this. Swivel? Might you be able to offer any enlightenment?

Now, I'd like to take a moment to discuss just how responsible media is for eating disorders. There seems to be some sort of link, as incidence of anorexia is higher in western industrialized nations and those with anorexia appear to have more contact with cultural elements that advocate weight loss. Still, as the article states, the connection is "hazy".

Isn't this kind of like outlawing all alcohol ads because some people are alcoholics? Actually, given the prevalence of alcoholism in western society, I could almost make a case for that. But this? Anorexia is said to affect 8-13 people in every 100,000.

Where is the justification, for this?


...Who am I kidding? It's France. Like they typically require justification, or something... :p

[TXChris]

Wow! That women is pretty scary. There is something to be said for being "too skinny" and that picture said it.

[dop]

Very few people are anorexics but there is a very simple reason for that, being anorexic is fucking hard, thier body does ask em for food, most people enjoy the comfort of eating food so it takes a disturbingly determined and mentally fucked person to become an anorexic...

What this law will hopefully do overtime is change the fucked up and skeewed version of body beuty that so many women(many in their teens) have of how those skelletor looking bitches have the greatest bodys and wish they looked like that.

Sure, they arent as sick in the head as to actually become one of this monsters but thats because they dont have the determination not because they dont wish they looked like that making them feel insecure and bad about their perfectly normal bodies. This which are much more people than the rare anorexics is who this law will trully help.

[TXChris]

Hell, if they're going to get onto advertisers for how they "make" people feel about themselves then why not get onto the car manufacturers, the alcohol distributors, and the music makers. After all, don't all these supposedly make people want to be someone they're not? Meh, it's a bunch of crap all around.

[CPL CHUD]

Now, I'd like to take a moment to discuss just how responsible media is for eating disorders. There seems to be some sort of link, as incidence of anorexia is higher in western industrialized nations and those with anorexia appear to have more contact with cultural elements that advocate weight loss. Still, as the article states, the connection is "hazy".

That's because in third world nations starving yourself on purpose doesn't exist. It isn't a trend, or a fashion statement, it's done because they can't afford food, so it'd be hard to find people that are actual anorexics. Correlation doesn't neccessitate cause, and it would behoove French policy makers to look further into the biological aspects of this disorder before jumping to false conclusions.

My best guess would be that the media has minimal influence on the onset of any eating disorder. Most cases would have to be contributed to genetic predispositions that would only be revealed under the right circumstances, such as actually having a surplus of food in the first place, or a stressful enviroment.

[Athena]

Sure, they arent as sick in the head as to actually become one of this monsters but thats because they dont have the determination not because they dont wish they looked like that making them feel insecure and bad about their perfectly normal bodies. This which are much more people than the rare anorexics is who this law will trully help.

But that's just it - should countries really be outlawing things inorder to protect them from insecurity? As Chris pointed out, there's plenty in the media that plays on insecurities or weaknesses. Why should this be different?

[Lizard]

As Christ pointed out...

<snicker>

sorry couldn't help it

[dop]

Not to the same extent Chris, thats taking it to all or nothing proportions.

Really people dont get as constantly bombarded with buy expensive cars to feel bether about yourselve, drink this booze and you can be like the duchebag in the picture or whatever other example you gave a considerable fraction of what women get with false unatainable ideas of beuty.

[Athena]

That's because in third world nations starving yourself on purpose doesn't exist. It isn't a trend, or a fashion statement, it's done because they can't afford food, so it'd be hard to find people that are actual anorexics. Correlation doesn't neccessitate cause, and it would behoove French policy makers to look further into the biological aspects of this disorder before jumping to false conclusions.


While I generally agree with you, Wiki cites a study which suggests that incidents of anorexia increase in non-western countries that become exposed to western media, which is the only reason I even mentioned it. Of course, I don't know how the study was conducted and would not draw any conclusions as a result.

Other studies point out that the rate of anorexia is by far the highest in groups directly conducive to eating disorders, such as dancers and models. Those who simply see these people are going to be much less affected by those who actually want to be these people.

Either way, not worth legislating, in my opinion.

[Athena]

<snicker>

sorry couldn't help it

Well, I don't worship Christ, either...so, hopefully, he won't let it go to his head. ;)