Why do we expect female models to be super thin and male models to look healthy and buff? Well, we like people on the top of our hierarchies to appear strong and those on lower groups to appear weak, of course.
France has joined Isreal, Spain, and Italy in legislating that people whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is below 18 can not be hired as models. This is an effort to address anorexia in the country by getting rid of the example that beauty means ultra-thin.
Fashion agencies that are discovered using models with a BMI under 18,
which is approximately 121 pounds for a 5 ft., 7 in. model, could face
up to six months of jail time and a fine of 75,000 euros ($82,000).
http://time.com/3770696/france-banned-ultra-thin-models/
