Images digitally altered to make models look thinner must carry a warning that they have been “touched up” under a French law aimed at tackling anorexia that comes into force on Sunday.

Doctoring fashion photographs is a common practice but is seen as a public health issue in France, where about 600,000 people suffer from anorexia or other eating disorders, according to the health ministry.

Any publication of a digitally edited or airbrushed commercial image not clearly labelled as “photographie retouchée” (touched up photograph) can be punished with a fine of at least €37,500, or 30 per cent of the cost of creating the advertisement.