Moves are being made in France to force advertisers to indicate when pictures used have been airbrushed or otherwise enhanced.

The moves, backed by 50 politicians, has been sparked by concerns for the health of young girls for whom the doctored photos become a body role-model, and prompt eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. There is also the issue of advertisers being honest with consumers and advising them that what they are looking at is not a reality.

Valerie Boyer, a member of President Sarkozy’s UMP party told the Daily Telegraph “It is not an attempt to damage creativity of photographers or publicity campaigns, but to advise the public on whether what they are seeing is real or not.”

“Not real” according to the newspaper would have been the picture of Sarkozy with an airbrushed waistline which appeared in Paris Match two years ago and hundreds of airbrushed photos of his wife and former model, Carla Bruni.