News
A voluntary charter to fight extreme thinness in Quebec
2009-03-04
This press release was produced by the Ministère de la culture, des communications et de la condition féminine du Québec.
Just in time for Montréal Fashion Week, Ms. Christine St-Pierre, Minister of Culture, Communications and the Status of Women, has announced that a working committee will be formed to create a voluntary charter intended for the fashion, advertising and media industry in order to fight extreme thinness and anorexia and to promote a healthy body image. The publication of this charter is planned for next autumn.
“The Quebec government is proud to work with this industry to promote body images that are more egalitarian and representative of reality. By forging a common front, society can change the perception of beauty standards and prevent health problems associated with weight. The community’s openness to this prevention and awareness tool and its desire to find solutions to this problem are also meaningful,” Minister St-Pierre stated.
The approximately 30-member working committee will start meeting on April 21 and will bring together influential actors from all sectors of the fashion industry from design to sales, as well as key people from the fields of advertising, media, and health. The Quebec government will be responsible for creating and promoting the charter and ensuring that the target industries adhere to it. The members will also participate in a consultation process that will be held as a complement to the committee's discussions.
This multisectoral committee will be co-chaired by Ms. Esther Bégin, a well-known television anchor and radio host, and Dr. Howard Steiger, an expert in this field and the Director of the Eating Disorders Program at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute. In addition to leading and coordinating the work, the co-chairs will be responsible for meeting with the Minister and advising her of the committee's recommendations.
The issue of women's body image is becoming a greater concern throughout the world. A number of countries have developed an approach to deal with the problems of extreme thinness and anorexia. The Minister would like to follow the example of France, which created a voluntary charter in April 2008 to advocate a healthy body image. “I think that Quebeckers are increasingly aware of the importance of this issue and that they are ready for a change. This initiative will be a win-win situation for everyone,” the Minister concluded.
Just in time for Montréal Fashion Week, Ms. Christine St-Pierre, Minister of Culture, Communications and the Status of Women, has announced that a working committee will be formed to create a voluntary charter intended for the fashion, advertising and media industry in order to fight extreme thinness and anorexia and to promote a healthy body image. The publication of this charter is planned for next autumn.
“The Quebec government is proud to work with this industry to promote body images that are more egalitarian and representative of reality. By forging a common front, society can change the perception of beauty standards and prevent health problems associated with weight. The community’s openness to this prevention and awareness tool and its desire to find solutions to this problem are also meaningful,” Minister St-Pierre stated.
The approximately 30-member working committee will start meeting on April 21 and will bring together influential actors from all sectors of the fashion industry from design to sales, as well as key people from the fields of advertising, media, and health. The Quebec government will be responsible for creating and promoting the charter and ensuring that the target industries adhere to it. The members will also participate in a consultation process that will be held as a complement to the committee's discussions.
This multisectoral committee will be co-chaired by Ms. Esther Bégin, a well-known television anchor and radio host, and Dr. Howard Steiger, an expert in this field and the Director of the Eating Disorders Program at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute. In addition to leading and coordinating the work, the co-chairs will be responsible for meeting with the Minister and advising her of the committee's recommendations.
The issue of women's body image is becoming a greater concern throughout the world. A number of countries have developed an approach to deal with the problems of extreme thinness and anorexia. The Minister would like to follow the example of France, which created a voluntary charter in April 2008 to advocate a healthy body image. “I think that Quebeckers are increasingly aware of the importance of this issue and that they are ready for a change. This initiative will be a win-win situation for everyone,” the Minister concluded.
