France to ban pro-anorexia sites

France, the home of high fashion and ultra-thin catwalk models, is to adopt legislation which bans websites that promote eating disorders.

Under the new law passed by the French parliament yesterday, sites and blogs which peddle the gospel of "eating less and living on starvation" are to be outlawed.

The law is the first anywhere in the world to clamp down on 'pro-ana' sites, a movement which started in the US with a cult-like devotion to achieving size-zero status.

The bill still has to face a vote in the French senate but if passed the owners of magazines, blogs and websites that promote eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia could face three years' imprisonment or fines in excess of £20,000.

The bill's sponsor Valérie Boyer, a conservative law-maker said: "We have noticed that the sociocultural and media environment seems to favour the emergence of troubled nutritional behaviour, and that is why I think it is necessary to act."

A simple search by Web User of 'pro-ana' returned over 1,210,000 hits with websites, blogs and forums providing information and images on anorexia and bulimia.

However, Susan Ringwood, chief executive of Beat, a British charity that provides support and information for people affected with eating disorders told Web User that it wouldn't be calling for similar legislation in the UK.

"We do know that the content is disturbing and can be harmful but how would a global ban be enforced?" she said, pointing out that if 'pro-ana' sites were banned in the UK, British teenagers could still access sites originating in other countries.

Ms Ringwood said that Beat has been working with social-networking sites like MySpace and Bebo to promote awareness of eating disorders, which are a form of mental illness, and that the industry had been cooperative.

She added that understanding the root cause of eating disorders rather than banning 'pro-ana' websites would be more effective.

www.b-eat.co.uk