Britain Bans Tiny Models

The British fashion industry has nixed runway and photoshoot models under 16, in a response to controversies over uber-thin girls literally dying to model. Two South American models died from malnutrition and anorexia last year, piquing concerns about the influence of "size-zero" modeling on young girls. The industry did not, however, ban models under a certain weight or dress size.

The new rules form part of a broad report on the working conditions of models commissioned by the British Fashion Council. The Guardian reports some anti-eating-disorder campaigners have welcomed the move despite its failure to set a dress-size limit. "You can be very slender and very healthy," one activist said. (More eating disorder stories.)