PARIS, April 15 (UPI) -- French lawmakers acted against anorexia Tuesday, trying to ban Internet sites and print publications glamorizing extreme thinness that jeopardizes girls' lives.
The measure would make it illegal "to encourage another person to seek excessive thinness ... which could expose them to a risk of death or endanger their health," The Independent reported. The bill, which would inflict prison terms of up to two years and fines up to $48,000, was approved by Parliament's National Assembly and is expected to be approved by the Senate, the British newspaper said.
Speaking to lawmakers, French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot said advising girls how to go about purging food they've eaten, "lie to their doctors" and "encouraging them to torture themselves" is not a matter of freedom of expression.
"The messages sent out here are messages of death," Bachelot said.
Chief author of the legislation, Valerie Boyer, said between 30,000 and 40,000 people in France have anorexia, mostly females ages 12-19. The affliction kills more people in France annually than any other mental disorder, Boyer said.
