So, common sense has prevailed - for now.

The proposed ban on size zero models has been dropped in favour of a 'voluntary code'. Reading between the lines of Caroline Flint's comment, she wasn't convinced it was a good idea either - probably because she is saddled with the job of addressing the nation's inactivity and obesity. It wouldn't have lasted long anyway - being completely in breach of all the UK's discrimination at work legislation.

Was amusing last night watching the panellists on Question Time trying to justify why any anti-discrimination law should allow for exemptions - presumably because that is a completely indefensible position. They were discussing the issue of adoption by same-sex couples, but the wider issues were similar. I was shouting at the TV trying to make the idiots hear (amidst all their politically-correct posturing and obvious prejudice) that ALL gay people had straight parents - so presumably a child brought up by gay parents could be more likely to grow up straight, on that reasoning!

I have been working on my Visual Project on the anti-thin agenda all day. Have started to get some interesting responses to questionnaires. In every case so far, the language used about people between size 4 (UK) and 8 (UK) has been unapologetically negative and to the point. Any negative comments about heavier people (and only above size 20 (UK) ) were all bound about with apologies and qualifications - the respondents terrified of causing offence. All admitted freely that they thought they had to be more careful about describing fat people than thin - and then added that they had been surprised to realise that this was hypocritical.

I've been trying to establish some statistics to defend my position in the forthcoming group tutorial next week. It's been surprisingly difficult as deaths where obesity is a contributory factor don't seem to be being logged on death certificates at present in England. The only (presumably accurate) figures I could get on relative mortality rates was from an answer given by the MSP responsible for health at the Scottish Parliament and therefore only apply to Scotland. However, they are very revealing - especially in the light of the recent attempts to ban thin models from working on the basis that they damage others' health. In the years for which figures were available, the maximum number of deaths per year from anorexia in Scotland were.........................................................................................................................................................
wait for it................................................................................................................................................
5. FIVE.

The number of deaths from obesity per year in Scotland during the same period were..........................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................
14,000. FOURTEEN THOUSAND.

That means that, for every 1 death from anorexia in Scotland during those years, there were 2,800 deaths from obesity. And thin models need to be banned?

I rest my case, your honour.