Well - I'm back on my hobby horse. One of the Sunday broadsheets published an article this weekend on thin models being banned from London Fashion Week as they are apparently such bad role models. In the same section, there was another lengthy article on obesity and the government's and Jamie Oliver's efforts to combat it. (There was also an obesity map showing that East Anglia holds 4 of the top 5 of obese towns in the UK).

Am I missing something here? Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, is apparently opposed to these thin models and designers who use them are being told that some £62,000 of funding for our fashion industry will be with-held if the thin models aren't withdrawn from the shows. The Eating Disorders Association (for whom I have, up til now, had some respect) argue that thin models are apparently powerful and bad role models, and lead many women to hate their own bodies.

Hmmm. I wonder. Is obesity not an eating disorder? I don't see the EDA or anyone else arguing that fat role models should be withdrawn from public view - despite the fact that they are presumably much more effective (bad) role models as this country is in the grip of an obesity epidemic. In fact, it's probably not even PC to use the word fat, although all the negative terms for thin are trotted out yet again. Certainly it doesn't seem that thin people are very effective as role models as the majority of our population are overweight - maybe we need more thin people in the public eye, not less? And do commentators ever consider that the reason many overweight people hate their bodies is probably because they can see the rolls of fat in the mirror and don't find it vastly attractive - not to mention it not exactly being conducive to health.

I think it's about time the worm turned and thin people started speaking out about the fact that they are generally healthier and cost the NHS less money than those who are overweight. Of course, this will mean overturning the well-established convention that we don't use the word 'fat' but tough. I don't notice the (admittedly ghastly) Gillian McKeith being shy of using it when transforming people's lives and health. How dare an elected official (as in the London Mayor) decide that public money cannot be used if thin people are going to be employed as a result of it? Why don't the EDA acknowledge that anorexia and other related disorders are, as I understand it, extremely complex psychological conditions not unrelated to issues of control, rather than jumping on this facile and misleading anti-thin bandwagon? I have a teenage daughter and, irresponsible or not, I'd rather she looked like Lily Cole than Dawn French as I think it would be less likly to damage her health or her self-esteem. I think we are in danger of allowing an obese nation's jealousy of those who are not overweight to dictate employment and funding issues and it needs to stop.

I confess to being a natural size 4-6/US size 0 myself in the interests of balance. I have never suffered from an eating disorder, have never been on a diet, but have always exercised and eaten healthily. I don't own a pair of scales and I don't judge others on their weight, unless they invite me to do so by being rude about mine.

I do, however, judge all the deluded individuals and organisations that can make such ludicrous statements at a time when the political agenda is full of concern about how the economy and the NHS will survive unless something is done about obesity, government ministers included. Mind you, after years spent working for MPs, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised when they get themselves into difficulties by trying to take utterly contradictory positions on topical issues. Bear in mind, oh reader, that Members of Parliament may well run for Parliament in order to try to improve things for the public but they depend on the electorate to put them in a position to do so. Whilst protecting the nation's health and wealth by doing something about obesity is obviously morally the right decision, when the vast majority of your electorate are obese, what's a poor MP to do?

That's it for now - until the next idiotic anti-thin comment. This was supposed to be a blog mainly for the purposes of improving my writing, but it's not happening so far. Must try harder - and have less opinions. My excuse it that I'm still programmed to read all the papers and react to all political commentary.