By Peter Henderson

Jun 1, 2008 8:11 PM | Link to this

I notice the article makes no reference to the concept of free speech, which disappeared in Europe years ago. So much for 'democracy.'

btw, concern over models starving themselves is at least as old as the 1960s and is mentioned in the commentary to the DVD of the film Blowup (1966), set in mod London. I think designers prefer thin models because less flesh gives the designer more space to work with. You can make a person wider with clothes but not narrower.

By Yabut

Apr 17, 2008 5:01 PM | Link to this

The model shown in the pic is not just thin or skinny, is she? She is a skeleton with some skin. She looks awful.

By curvy angela

Apr 17, 2008 4:30 PM | Link to this

I blog about body image and size acceptance, and while I agree with the intention behind this legislation, I really have problems with this approach:

1. Who decides what ýtoo thiný is? How is this decision made? It is just as unfair to penalize the naturally thin, or even ýunderweight,ý model as it is to penalize the naturally larger, or even ýoverweight,ý model.
2. If depictions of underweight bodies are outlawed, how quickly will depictions of overweight bodies be outlawed?

In issues of body size, I believe that health and fitness should be the goal, not the attainment of any particular weight or size. Sedentary lifestyle and poor diet harm our bodies. It is a myth that somehow an observer can look at a personýs outward appearance and judge that personýs health, or lack thereof (this would render most medical testing unnecessary).

Banning one type of image or another is not the answer. Allowing for a diversity of images and a broad definition of beauty is a better solution.

By The O-Gee

Apr 16, 2008 4:50 PM | Link to this

at 6' 195 lbs., the o.g. is lean and cut.
the o.g.

By MC

Apr 15, 2008 10:12 PM | Link to this

I wonder how thin the O-Gee keeps himself.

It would be a mark of shame for France if their average heft ever were to match ours. This notwithstanding, we all know how far models are sometimes pushed. That woman in the picture, for instance--fifty years ago (when we were slimmer, by the way) her appearance would have frightened most people, and now some teenage girls aspire toward this deadly form.

By The O-Gee

Apr 15, 2008 6:17 PM | Link to this

i just got back from paris and burgundy and american fatties could learn a lesson from the sleek french hotties. not only are french women sexier and better looking, they are also no so hung up about hot rauchy sex.

with any dreadful trip to local-mall or strip center hell, it is easy to see that legislation to curb fatties is something that congress should enact.

the o.g.

By Think about it

Apr 15, 2008 4:09 PM | Link to this

If they are going to outlaw promoting unhealthy body images then they need to apply this rule across the board. Obesity is unhealthy so I guess they should outlaw obese models too. No more modeling of fat peoples clothes as it represents glorifying an unhealthy lifestyle, that is already proven to reduce lifespan, impair mobility and self reliance, and lead to a host of other health related issues. No more glamorous fat models looking like they are enjoying themselves because this could warp our little snowflakes sense of what a healthy body is.