France bans skinny models

France has passed a new law banning extremely thing models from the catwalk.

From now on models must provide a doctor's certificate indicating their overall physical health, with special attention given to their body mass index (BMI) - a measure of weight in relation to height.

The health ministry says the aim is to fight eating disorders and unrealistic ideals of beauty.

Photos that are digitally altered will also have to be labelled from 1 October.

Pictures where models' appearances have been manipulated will need to be marked photographie retouchée (English: retouched photograph).

A previous version of the bill included a minimum BMI for models, prompting protests from French modelling agencies.

But the final version, backed by the National Assembly, allows doctors to decide whether a model is too thin by taking into account their weight, age, and body shape.

Employers breaking the law could face fines of up to 75,000 euros and up to six months in jail.

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

Said France's Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Marisol Touraine, in a statement on Friday.

France is not the first country to legislate on underweight models - Italy, Spain and Israel have all taken similar steps previously.

Anorexia affects between 30,000 to 40,000 people in France, 90% of whom are women.