Move to Ban Thin Models From Advertising and Fashion Shows

• August 2, 2006: Uruguayan model Luisel Ramos, age 22, dies of anorexia nervosa-related causes.
  
  
• September 7, 2006: Australian label MaraJoara bucks the trend toward extremely thin models, using women size 8 to 12 at Australian Fashion Week. The show raises controversy and brings the debate more firmly into the media.
  
  
• September 9, 2006: Madrid fashion show (Pasarela Cibeles) says models with body mass index ratings under 18 will not be allowed to work in the event.
  
  
• September 18, 2006: Tessa Jowell, British Culture Secretary, applauds Madrid show's decision. London Fashion Week show ignores Jowell's recommendation to do the same. The British Fashion Council says that it "does not comment or interfere in the aesthetic of any designer's show."
  
  
• September 21, 2006: Giorgio Armani comments on the models he prefers to employ: "I have never wanted to use girls that are too skinny. I prefer girls that show off my clothes in the best way."
  
  
• November 17, 2006: Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston dies of anorexia at age 21.
  
  
• December 1, 2006: Brazilian modeling agencies begin to require prospective models to have medical certificates saying they are healthy. Those who wish to be models will have to take blood tests to get their certificates.
  
  
• December 18, 2006: Milan fashion show bans models with BMI under 18.5 and models under age 16.
  
  
• January 9, 2007: The Academy for Eating Disorders suggests guidelines for the fashion industry, including requiring models to be at least 16 years old, promoting the use of models of all sizes in fashion shows, and eliminating digital enhancements to make models in photos look slimmer.
  
  
• January 25, 2007: Organizers of London Fashion Week take a different approach than fashion shows in Madrid and Milan, choosing not to ban very thin models. Officials stress that they had asked designers to use only "healthy" models. The British Fashion Council argues that barring too-thin models "is neither desirable nor enforceable."
  
  
• January 25, 2007: Spain's government reaches agreement with major fashion designers to create standards for women's clothing sizes. The stated goal is to promote a healthier image.
  
  
• February 12, 2007: Pasarela Cibeles show in Madrid follows through on its promise, banning five models from participating.
  
  
• February 13, 2007: Uruguayan model Eliana Ramos, age 18, dies of heart failure due to anorexia.
  
  
• May 2, 2007: International model Marvy Rieder meets with the Academy of Eating Disorders to discuss interventions for models in danger of developing eating disorders.
  
  
• May 9, 2007: Amsterdam-based Unilever, a consumer products group, eliminates models with BMI under 18 and over 25 from their advertising.
  
  
• June 15, 2007: English model Rosanna Carr Taylor wins the Miss East Anglia pageant and endorses beat, formerly known as the Eating Disorders Association. Ms. Carr Taylor speaks of pressure to lose weight in the industry.
  
  
• July 11, 2007: Independent panel logs preliminary report suggesting that London Fashion Week ban models under age 16, and that a "rigorous" study be conducted to determine the prevalence of eating disorders among models. The panel also suggested regular medical checks for models to screen for eating disorders.
  
  
• September 15, 2007: New model Maddison Gabriel dominates headlines at Australia's Gold Coast Fashion Week--a day before her 13th birthday.
  
  
• November 14, 2007: Israeli model Hila Elmalich dies from complications of self-starvation. Photographer Adi Barkan ramps up his campaign for healthier models: Modeling agency Elite International holds auditions at which prospective Israeli models are told that the agency is committed to hiring those with healthy BMIs.
  
  
• April 15, 2008: The lower house of the French National Assembly passed legislation to make promotion of extreme dieting a crime. Punishment was to include up to 2 years in prison and a fine of up to $47,000. The legislation does not become national law, but France does adopt a voluntary charter against promoting a dangerously thin body image, which is signed by advertising firms and fashion houses.
  
  
• July 23, 2008: Quebec provincial culture minister Christine St-Pierre suggests that the province follow France's example and adopt a voluntary charter to avoid promotion of an "extremely thin body image." St-Pierre does not rule out future legislation.

Source : http://eatingdisorders.about.com/od/anorexianervosa/a/bantimeline.htm