Paris ( CNN ) French lawmakers are weighing a ban on extremely thin models . New legislation debated in Parliament Tuesday would require modeling agencies to get medical certificates from models proving that their body mass index is at least 18 . Models would also be required to undergo regular weight checks . And agencies that violate the law could face fines and even possible prison sentences . Dr. Olivier Veran , a doctor and French lawmaker who 's proposing the measures , said it 's time to put a stop to the practice of pressuring models to be so thin that it 's dangerous for their health . `` We want to combat the idea that an agency could urge a model to stop eating ; for example eating cotton balls to lose their appetite , to always lose more weight , '' he said . Seeing models ' bones as they parade down the catwalk is a troubling trend , Veran said . `` We have had chief editors of prestigious magazines tell us that more and more often , they are obliged to use Photoshop , not to make the models look slimmer , '' he said , `` but to erase the tracks of bones under the skin , to make them look bigger . '' Vernan 's proposed amendments to a health bill would also target the dark online world of pro-anorexia websites that promote self-starvation and encourage young women to post photos of their emaciated frames . The average BMI for a woman in France is 23.2 -- the lowest average in Western Europe , according to a 2009 study from France 's National Institute of Demographic Studies . In France , Veran said , 30,000-40,000 people suffer from eating disorders , mainly teenagers . Marisol Touraine , France 's minister of social affairs , expressed her support for the new anti-anorexia measures in an interview with CNN affiliate BFMTV . `` The approach is good , '' she said , adding that the government will have to examine the wording of the new legislation in further detail . Extreme cases such as that of French model Isabelle Caro have sparked calls for change for years . Caro died in 2010 , three years after she posed nude in a controversial ad campaign against anorexia . Similar concerns in Spain , Italy and Israel prompted those countries to adopt laws against the use of ultra-thin models on catwalks and in advertising campaigns . Israel even has strict rules on how model 's bodies are Photoshopped ; any changes must be clearly marked on the photo . Some in the industry are supportive of the proposed laws , but say they do n't strike at the real issue . `` The fact of the matter is , fashion creatives have to think about the messaging they are promoting around body image ideals and the fact they are normalizing an unachievable physical appearance , '' said Caryn Franklin , a fashion commentator . Veran 's legislation is set to go before the French Parliament at the end of the month for discussion . And he wants to outlaw what he calls starving models by the end of the year . `` I think that by the end of 2015 , '' he said , `` we will no longer have anorexic models on the catwalk . '' CNN 's Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report .
French Marisol Touraines are considering measures setting limits for how thin models can be . `` We want to combat the idea that an agency could urge a model to stop eating , '' Marisol Touraine says . Spain , Italy and Israel have passed similar measures .