Should ultra-thin models be illegal?


Rubens was famous for painting pleasantly plump figures, an exaggerated fleshiness now known as Rubenesque. But recent standards of beauty have tended toward the opposite: ultra-thin, potentially anorexic fashion models. 

France, the style-conscious heart of the couture industry, is now expected to follow the lead of Italy, Spain, and Israel in banning models from catwalks and advertising who fall below a BMI (body mass index) of 18, or about 121 pounds for someone 5 feet 7 inches. If they fail regular weight checks, their agents could be fined or jailed. This would put just about every current supermodel, from Adriana Lima to Candice Swanepoel, out of business—at least in four countries.

—Tim Gihring, editor

March 18, 2015

Source: The Guardian, March 17, 2015