It’s one of the most contentious issues in the modern media but Israel is now not only going to tackle it head on but be the first government to do so.

A new law will ban the use of underweight models in adverts and require publications to disclose when they alter images to make women and men look thinner. This law also requires models to produce a medical report at every shoot to confirm they’re not malnourished by the World Health Organisation standard.

So will banning underweight models change the face of Israel’s advertisements?

Will it see an end to today’s unrealistic standard of beauty and bring in diversity?

And more importantly will it reverse the rising tide of eating disorders that compromises the health and well-being of so many people?

• Not to be a Debbie Downer for your St. Patty’s Day memories, but the body of a woman was found in a retention pond near the Beloit Wal-Mart on Sat., March 17. The case has since been ruled as an accident and the police department believes that 49-year-old Michelle Lynn Burke Silbar was taking a walk when she fell multiple times, landing in the pond. She was likely impaired (who wasn’t?), but police are still awaiting toxicology reports.

• Israel passed a law on March 20 banning the use of underweight models from both advertising and runway work. From now on, Israeli models will be required to provide medical proof that their BMI (Body Mass Index) is 18.5 or above. Critics say that the law should have focused on health, not weight, as some women are naturally thin, but the government hopes that providing models of average weight will a healthier body image to the public. Currently, 2 percent of Israeli girls age 14-18 suffer from a severe eating disorder.

• In the most important news of this week and more proof of what is the greatest domesticated animal, Sugar, a 4-year-old deaf cat survived a fall from a 19-story skyscraper in Boston. Sugar walked away from the 200-foot plunge with only scrapes and bruises, although she did cause a small crater in the ground where she fell. Officials say at such a height, cats glide through the air a la the “flying squirrel.” It’s like she’s a f*cking superhero. Cats are awesome.

• The most irresponsible person ever just got a little bit more unbelievable. Snooki, the too tan, too poofy, and too entertaining guidette will be joining Jersey Shore for its upcoming sixth season. She, and her unborn baby. That’s right: pregnant Snooki will be part of the cast of characters in a show based on alcoholism, fights, random sex and peeing in public. During a screening of last season’s finale when Snooki announced her pregnancy, she said that one of the biggest benefits to having a child at 24 that doesn’t occur to most people: “Having a kid so young means I can be a MILF.”

• The numbers of male rape victims by female perpetrators have been on the rise in Zimbabwe. Some women are raping men with gun, knife or snakebite threats to collect semen to use for traditional rituals to bring good luck, or “juju.” While the practice of using semen as a tradable commodity began about seven years ago, the media is only recently beginning to shed light on the reports. Sociologist Watch Ruparanganda believes the phenomenon can be traced back to men not wanting to pay prostitutes monetarily, and instead traded a knotted, used condom full of semen for sex. Unfortunately, there is no law in place that criminalizes rape by a woman in Zimbabwe.

• As of March 22, national unemployment rates dropped to 8.3 percent, the lowest rate in the last four years. The most hiring since 2009 marked December ‘11 through February ’12 because during this time, the economy added an average of 245,000 jobs each month. Economists expect unemployment to continue decreasing as polls reveal that Americans are becoming more optimistic and confident about the workforce.

Sources: Nerve, BBC, ABC, The Republic, MSNBC, USA Today, Raw Story

I’ve recently discovered Chicana writing and  creative art.  If you’re familiar with the Mexican Day of the Dead celebrated in October  you’ll appreciate, as I do the vibrant and passionate style the artists create.  Yet there’s so much more to this fascinating genre that just baking breads and confectionery in the shape of skulls (although, how cool is that?) as Amelia Maria de la Luz Montes’s excellent blog informs us.  An Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, she gives us a unique perspective through her interviews with Chicana writers and artists who share  what inspires and informs their creative output.  Read her blog here:  http://ameliamontes.com/2011/11/chicanas-making-art-making-story.html

Few things give me the satisfaction I get from rummaging around in charity/secondhand bookshops.  I’m fortunate to have an Oxfam  bookshop near me where the staff are dedicated to making it easy to locate books.  This week I have a number of finds to crow over, including:  Quartet by Jean Rhys (1928), Maurice by E.M. Forster (1971), Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (1865/72),  Literature In The Modern World (critical essays and documents) by Dennis Walder (1990), The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner by Alan Sillitoe (1959) and Head to Toe by Joe Orton (1971).  All for the princely sum of £1 each…Go support your local Oxfam!

Hooray for the arrival of some beautiful Easter sunny, dry weather!  With the clocks changing this weekend by Monday Britain will be in a state of pre-sunstroke euphoria, donning shorts and sundresses that should have been bequeathed to a museum years ago.  But ignore my  snobbishness – the sun has a wonderful effect on everyone’s spirits and gets everyone out and about after the long hibernation of winter.  Taking long walks along the beach with my dog, Daisy has been particularly beneficial for me recently.  I find it clears my head and inspires creativity once I’m back home and want to write or create some art.  Walking is a woefully underrated activity given that it’s free, requires no special equipment and can be practised just about anywhere.  Thumbs up for the power of the feet!

The news this week that Israel has passed legislation that prohibits underweight models from taking assignments is a  positive step forward.  Models now have to prove with a doctor’s certificate that their Body Mass Index is 18.5 or over before they can take a job.  It would make my week if we saw other countries following Israel’s lead on this and their stand on airbrushed images in the media and advertising which now must clearly state when this technique has been used.  It has long been a fact that the misrepresentation of the body in industries like fashion, media and advertising cause a detrimental effect on young people.  The resulting attitudes of poor self esteem and attempts to achieve and maintain an unrealistic body image at the expense of both mental and physical health are obvious to see in society.

This story reminded me of when I spent some time teaching in Bangkok and went to have a photo taken for my visa.  Looking afterwards, at first I couldn’t place what was wrong with it.  Then it struck me that my birthmark, which covers the left side of my jaw and runs onto my neck had been airbrushed out.  What made me incredulous was that I hadn’t been asked if I wanted to be tampered with, it was simply assumed I wouldn’t want an ‘ugly’ mark marring my face.  There are times, even as a literary person, that words fail me entirely….Anyhow, to end on an up note go to the Campaign For Body Confidence at http://campaignforbodyconfidence.wordpress.com for articles on the models weight legislation and an e-petition you can sign urging the government to pass legislation similar to Israel’s.  As I’m saying goodbye for today, you could go there right now and do it……

One Love