French capital fights fat phobia
France gave the world butter croissants and foie gras, yet it has often been a place where being overweight was seen as almost sinful.
Now, after taking a hard look at the contradictions in the mirror, its capital has launched a campaign to counter sizeism, an often disregarded kind of discrimination in the imageconscious city known for luxury fashion brands and tiny waists.
Paris anti-discrimination chief Helene Bidard began the initiative after receiving weight-related insults and noticing how bias against French people who are overweight went unnoticed, never mind unpunished.
‘‘We see fat people as ugly and even stupid, lacking hygiene and in bad health,’’ Bidard said.
As part of its annual week devoted to raising awareness about discrimination, Paris yesterday unveiled its ‘‘Fatphobia, stop! Taking action together’’ campaign with a plus-size fashion show and panels featuring bloggers from the ‘‘body positive’’ movement. Fifty thousand leaflets with legal advice and helpline numbers were distributed at sports centres, nightclubs, swimming pools and bistros.
The effort, which is aimed at countering both casual and institutionalised discrimination, comes amid rising obesity rates in France. The National Institute of Health and Medical Research reported that nearly 16 per cent of the adult population was obese last year, compared to 6 per cent in 1980. But thinness ideals persist.
‘‘There’s this French paradox where you’re supposed to eat foie gras but you’re not supposed to get fat,’’ said curvy French blogger Daria Marx.
She said that while a 2011 French law prohibited job discrimination based on physical appearance, employers often got around it by prioritising job applications that contained candidates’ photos. Calling it ‘‘discrimination’’, she cited research that concluded that fat people are 15 times less likely to be called back for interviews if they include their photos. Doctors also can deny in vitro fertilisation to women who are deemed overweight.
To challenge the images of smallsized beauty propagated by fashion houses such Paris-based Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Dior, the organisers of yesterday’s event put on a big-isbeautiful runway show with plus-size clothes specially made by designers such as Ewa Minge.
‘‘In France, it’s very difficult [to buy plus-size clothes]. I only shop on the internet’’ or shops in London, Marx said.
French luxury giants recently woke up to the potential dangers of encouraging excessive thinness. Since October 1, French fashion conglomerates LVMH and Kering have stopped hiring excessively thin models, and now require models to provide medical certificates to prove that they are healthy before they can work. The companies hope to set a new global standard for the fashion industry.
The move garnered praise at Paris Fashion Week, including during the show for the collection by Stella McCartney.
‘‘The community in fashion needs to look after these young women ... whether that be their emotional health, their mental health or their physical health,’’ McCartney said.
Though discrimination against fat people is a documented problem in France – a book about growing up fat in France entitled You’re Not Born Fat became an unexpected sensation – some remain sceptical.
‘‘There is no problem of sizeism in Paris,’’ image consultant Emery Dolige said. ‘‘Does eating well make you fat? No. On the contrary. Our American friends often demonstrate that.’’