A law in France banning the use of unhealthy fashion models has finally come into effect, and it’s about time it happened.

Models today have become dangerously thin, causing health problems for themselves and many others across the world. There should be government legislation banning sick models who represent an unhealthy lifestyle.
Only .025 percent of models surveyed had a healthy BMI, which ranges between 18.5 and 25. None had a BMI over 21.

Sara Ziff of Vogue wrote, “The average model stands 177 cm, weighs about 54kg with a BMI of 17.3.”
Models who are severely underweight promote unhealthy habits, like eating disorders, towards young girls.

“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 behavior,” France’s Minister of Social Affairs and Health told Local 8 in September.

A global legislation needs to be passed in order to prevent further harmful damage to young girls and models. All countries should take a stand to keep their girls free from suffering.

Not only do models put young girls at risk by promoting unrealistic body standards, but by being underweight, they risk their own health and wellness as well.

It’s disgusting that the amount of models who are severely underweight is increasing daily. “94% of models were considered underweight in a study taken of 3000 models”, written by Sara Ziff, published in Vogue.
It is argued that there are many serious consequences to being underweight. These problems include, osteoporosis, brain damage, a change in homeostasis, and more. Sadly, no one is told these consequences of starvation, as it is masked by perfected catwalks and photoshoots.

Sarah Knapton researched American Journal of Public Health. Knapton wrote, “It ‘would go a long way’ toward preventing serious health problems among young women including anorexia nervosa and death from starvation.”
The new legislation passed in France and the UK banning dangerously skinny models went into effect this month, but why are they the only countries making changes when modeling is a global industry?

Health teacher Rebecca Finnoti said, “ I think that [the model health ban] is great because models display such a unrealistic weight for people to be at.”

It’s not news that there is a promotion of thinness in the fashion industry, but it is absurd at how much models are pressured to lose weight for fashion.

The fashion industry must make a change in the way it treats its employees now before it’s too late. Thousands of lives are at risk. “Studies show that up to 40 per cent of fashion models have eating disorders, and as many as 50 percent of girls in fifth to 12th grade think that they’re not thin enough because of the images that they see in magazines,” California state Assemblyman Marc Levine told News.com AU in June 2016.

By promoting an unhealthy lifestyle through their models, the fashion industry puts many girls in danger of developing an eating disorder.

Health teacher Tina Monastero said, “I think models have a negative effect on young girls because girls try to emulate and be like them.”

It only makes sense that healthy models should walk on the runway. In many other circumstances, malnutrition can be seen as a serious problem that should be dealt with immediately. Models, however, are praised for being underweight and mentally ill.

It is time to ask the question why.

Why is the modeling agency so screwed up in their way of thinking?

In regards to the model ban, Monastero said, “I think it is a great idea. I would hope it would make a difference and cause other countries see it as the most important thing.

Now is the time to take action. All modeling companies should support their employees by requiring a note of health from a doctor and a BMI of 18, a healthy weight.

Sign the petition to ban sickly thin models on Change.org. Join the fight for health, and keep our girls safe from harm by promoting healthy women on the runway.