France takes up body image law

What do you think, should fashionable images of women who starve themselves to unhealthy thinness, be banned?

As far as I can tell, media representations do not cause anorexia. Logically, banning media from "publicly incit[ing] extreme thinness" in order to reduce anorexia won't work, right?

Does France have free speech in a similar vein to USA? If so, this legislation surely won't hold up in court...

I think it's absurd. While they're at it, they should ban the marketing of ridiculously marked up, name brand clothing, shoes, jewelry and cars to people who really can't afford it.
The idea is noble, but as mog says, "media representations do not cause anorexia." If that were the case, I'd be a size 2.
There was a time, plump and pretty was a la mode. We can only impose our want for change in the industry and the standard for beauty will change over time.

I think you could make a good arguement for banning images of aneroxic models.

Here in the states we banned smoking ads on TV in addition to making it illegal to advertise smoking directly to children. We've also taken similar measures with alochol advertising to a more limited extent.

We can all agree those measures are a good idea, right?

So it's illegal to have cartoon charcaters on Saturday morning smoking, doing shots or snorting cocain --- why not be conscious of the effect aneroxic models might have on developing minds?

And to a certain extent couldn't taking advantage of someone with a mental illness (eating disorder) be criminal?

"I know you throw up every day and live in constant agony and depression -- but your bony body looks great in my clothes so here's a bunch of money to keep doing it!" That's like giving a alcoholic a bunch of money to keep drinking themselves to death because the yellow pallor of their skin makes the color of the clothing line really POP.

I think I have to side with the French on this one.

It's a double-edged sword. While media may directly cause an eating disorder, the images help perpetuate it. Just look at all the pro-anorexia sites that have these images all over as a way to "motivate" them to skin and bones.
Whether it should be a law or not - the point is that it's a continuous cycle of images that are not healthy for young girls and do not represent who women really are. The media blames it on the masses saying they're only producing what people want to see. The people blame it on the media saying that these images are all they've been infiltrated with. So at some point one end needs to break this circle and start a new trend. So this is a positive step. (Or we can just put more Dove ads all over!)

I think the only anerexic women tobe shown should be only those who already sacreficed thier own haelth making thier statment on how wrong and discusting it is, what happensto you, that sort of thing, but not fasgion shows where they do that to look good andkeep thier job.

Also obiously hungarstrikes to help issues. We'dhave to give our atention to those! it's only fair!

Over all, this is a good idea, so what if it does'nt work? What is there to lose with even an experiment to see if the general public would stop doing this to them selves?

There is such a warpped sense of beauty all over the world. What is beautiful are people's positive spirits, self-expression, and of course the diversity of beauty. And none of these use starvation to achieve it's maximum potential.

We must think of the young girl's who sense of self image and self esteem is damaged, before they even hit puberty and have a chance for self discovery.

I believe in healthy living not death for fashion!

Don't be scared....EAT. There are only three things we can't live without...Food, Water, and Shelter!!