A model on the catwalk in 2005.

Britain's fashion industry launched an inquiry Monday aimed at establishing health guidelines for supermodels in the wake of an international controversy over super-skinny "size-zero" models.

Guidelines for British employers of catwalk models will be drawn up in time for London Fashion Week (LFW) in September to help them tackle "any material size-related health concerns," an inquiry spokesman said.

In examining steps to ensure the good health of LFW models and how to implement, enforce and assess the measures, panelists will study the approaches of other fashion capitals like New York, Paris, Milan and Madrid, he said.

The independent Model Health Inquiry -- composed of model managers, designers and supermodels -- will make recommendations that will not be binding but are likely to prove influential.

"I will certainly be surprised if having asked us to do this they (the fashion industry) do not seek to implement our proposals," said Baroness Denise Kingsmill, who is chairing the probe.

"It is time, in a way, for the fashion industry to grow up," she said.

"It is a real and a very important industry and the people working within it have to be taken seriously and have to be treated well.

"It is a very important part of the global economy," she said. "It is an important chunk of our leisure, retail and tourism industries."

The British Fashion Council, an industry body which organises London Fashion Week, had written to designers before a week of shows in February, asking them to use only healthy-looking models over 16 years old.

However, it has stopped short of following the lead of authorities in Italy and Spain by imposing a ban on the skinniest models.

在全世界兴起的一股反对超瘦“0码”模特的风潮后，英国时装业于本周一开始了一项旨在为超级模特制定健康指南的调查研究。

调研小组发言人说，为英国模特制定的健康指南将于9月伦敦时装周开幕之际出台，以帮助模特们应对“任何与‘尺寸’有关的健康问题”。

他说，在研究如何保证伦敦时装周模特们的健康及如何执行、实施和评估这些措施的过程中，调研小组成员将对纽约、巴黎、米兰和马德里等其它时装都市所采用的方法进行调研。

由模特经理、设计师和超级模特组成的独立“模特健康研究”小组将制定的这一指南不具有约束力，但可能会较有影响力。

调研小组组长巴罗妮斯·丹尼斯·金米尔说：“如果他们让我们制定出这个指南后又不去执行，那我肯定会很惊讶的。”

她说：“时装业应该有所‘成长’了。”

“这是一个活生生的、十分重要的行业，应该认真对待在这个行业工作的人，要善待她们。”

她说：“时装业是全球经济的重要组成部分。它是休闲、零售及旅游业中重要的一块。”

主办伦敦时装周的行业组织英国时装理事会在今年2月时装周的前一周致信设计师，要求他们只能用那些16岁以上形象健康的模特。

然而，英国时装理事会并没有效仿意大利和西班牙的有关组织封杀过瘦模特的做法。