"Encouraging young girls to lie to their doctors, advising them on foods that are easier to regurgitate and inciting them to beat themselves up each time they eat is not freedom of expression," Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot said in a speech in parliament.

"These messages are death messages. Our country must be able to prosecute those who are hiding behind these websites," she said.

The bill must now be approved by the Senate. Under the bill violators could face jail sentences of up to two years and $47,387 in fines.

Violators could face a three-year jail term and be fined for $71,000 if encouragement of anorexia leads to death. The bill is mainly geared towards blogs and sites where anorexics share information about how to stay thin.

The vote in the lower house comes after the French fashion industry signed a voluntary charter to promote healthy body images.

In France, the health ministry estimates there are about 30,000-40,000 anorexics with two age groups-12-13 year- olds and 18-19 year-olds-said to be most vulnerable to the disease, according to deputy Valerie Boyer, the author of the bill.

"It’s time for public action against this scourge," Boyer said.
 

but . . .but. . .hey (yawn) you can’t. . .really, that’s freedom of (yawn) speech. . .silly socialist Spaniards. . .oh, forget it. . . it is pretty sick stuff

Fearful that a contest called “The Great Ana Competition” would result with girls starving themselves to death, Spanish authorities have filed suit against the site operators, reports TimesOnline. In the competition, online participants were awarded points for staying under dangerously low daily caloric levels, for fasting, and for good anorexia techniques.

“Pro-ana” is a term used by fans of the eating disorder. Only, they don’t call it an eating disorder. They call it a lifestyle choice.

Regardless, site operators in Spain are now targets for authorities – but only from the front (can’t see’em from the side so good). Spanish health officials accuse these operators of “endangering the lives of teenage girls.”

Another site, princesasdeporcelana.es.kz, is down, presumably because of legal actions taken. The error message is in Spanish, but even those with rudimentary Spanish skills can understand the word “suspendida” with an exclamation point.

Eating Disorders Associations reports that there are over 500 pro-anorexia websites, frequented by young women who want to look like this.

One could say that such government action brings up a larger issue of regulated speech and liberty. But one won’t, most likely, in this instance.

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