The average American female weighs 140 pounds and is 5’ 4”; the average American female model weighs 117 pounds and is 5’ 7”, according to the West Virginia Department of Education. This disconnect, many believe, has led to an anorexia epidemic as young women attempt to match these unhealthy body standards.

California State Assembly member Marc Levine wants to address the growing issue of anorexia by passing state legislation to regulate the modeling industry. Levine explained in a press release that this legislation is aimed at “societal problems since unhealthy fashion models have become role models for young people.”

The bill, AB 2539, would require the modeling industry to adopt certain health standards in California such as: regular health check-ups, nutrition counseling and medical testing for models, when needed. In France, law-makers have already passed legislation that bans models who fail to meet a certain body mass index minimum. Israel, Italy and Spain have also adopted similar requirements.

Levine’s bill would look to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board and Department of Public Health to work in conjunction with medical experts to create health standards for models. The bill would also require that models obtain a physician’s certificate to ensure that they don’t have an eating disorder. Agencies would be obligated to keep the certificate on file, under penalty of a fine.

In effect, the legislation would crack down on anorexic models for the benefit of both the models suffering from crippling eating disorders as well as the consumers who take their cues as standards of beauty.

Today, American children and teens consume more media than ever, and this trend is having a powerful effect on their self-esteem and confidence. For example, a recentPeople Magazine poll found that 80 percent of female respondents said that images of women on television and in the movies made them feel insecure.