France has passed a law cracking down on "unrealistic" images in advertising.
From October 1, fashion photos will be required to carry a notice if they have been edited to alter a model's appearance in any way. Digitally modified photos will be stamped with "photographie retouchée" ("retouched photograph"), across internet, magazine, television and billboard advertisements.
French models will also be required to undergo a medical examination every two years to see that they're in good enough health to work. In particular, their body mass index (BMI) will be calculated to ensure they're not underweight.
The World Health Organisation considers somebody underweight if their BMI is below 18.5, and seriously underweight if it's under 16.
"Exposing young people to normative and unrealistic images of bodies leads to a sense of self-depreciation and poor self-esteem that can impact health-related behaviour," France's Minister of Social Affairs and Health Marisol Touraine said in a statement.
"The objective is also to protect the health of a category of the population particularly touched by this risk: models."
The law has been eight years in the making.
In 2006 Spain introduced the world's first ban on overly thin models. Many other countries, including Italy, India and Israel have since followed suit.
Newshub.
