Thin is definitely out for the French fashion industry after the country’s National Assembly passed a law on Thursday that banned anorexic models. Officials of French companies that would violate the newly passed law would face a prison term of up to six months and fine of €75,000 (AUD$113,500) if they hire very thin models.

The new law is part of a larger health bill discussed by the French parliament for months. Models who apply for a job in France must show a medical certificate from a professional to serve as proof that their Body Mass Index (BMI) is proper for their weight, age and body shape, reports Mashable.

A version of the bill approved in April did not set a minimum BMI, Newsweek reports. The World Health Organisation (WHO) sets 18.5 to 24.9 as the normal BMI, although the average BMI for French women is 23.2.

The use of Photoshop to alter the images of models is also prohibited under the new law that takes effect on Jan. 1, 2017. The prohibition includes making the model appear thinner or bigger by using apps or software. Digitally altered images would only be allowed if the publication places “retouched photograph” with the photo.

The new law stresses, “The appearance of some models helps to spread potentially dangerous stereotypes for fragile populations.”

The new law targets model health which is a controversial topic in France. France has about 30,000 to 40,000 anorexic people, 90 percent are women. Similar laws have been passed in other countries such as Israel, Italy and Spain, have similar legislation.

In the U.S., former supermodel and “America’s Next Top Model” (ANTM) producer Tyra Banks once sent home a female contestant of ANTM for being too thin. Major fashion magazine Vogue has taken a similar stand on very thin models.

Anorexia nervosa has taken the lives of American celebrities such as 1970s singer Karen Carpenter. According to the Mayo Clinic, people who suffer from anorexia nervosa “place a high value on controlling their weight and shape, using extreme efforts that tend to significantly interfere with activities in their lives.”

In Australia, ABC reports that the 2012 Deloitte Access Economics report, commissioned by the non-profit Butterfly Foundation for Eating Disorders, found close to 1 million Australians have an eating disorder. About two-thirds of them are women who have anorexia or bulimia. The study says over 1,800 Aussies died from eating disorders in 2012.

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