Israel Endorses Ban on Underweight Models and Photo-Editing

Last week, Israel’s parliament endorsed a bill that aimed to keep underweight models out of commercials, prohibit modeling agencies and photographers from employing them, and ban the media and advertising agencies from airbrushing models to extremes.

The bill was submitted by advocates for women’s health issues as part of an effort to combat the international eating disorders epidemic.

My Thoughts on Cosmetic Surgery

After struggling for years with my own body image and self-esteem, I’ve come to dedicate a great deal of my time to encouraging positive thinking and confidence in others. I volunteer with organizations that work to spread positive body image and eating disorders awareness, and I blog about fun ways to ensure that self-confidence is at the forefront of all that we do.

So I was somewhat startled when I was recently asked how I felt about cosmetic surgery—at least in the scheme of my push for self-love. Caught off-guard, I mumbled something about seeing both the pros and cons, but after a week of pondering the issue, this is the more formal opinion I’ve formulated:

I am absolutely not against cosmetic surgery. While I am adamant about loving yourself, I’m in no way oblivious to the quirks and imperfections that we all have. And while hopefully you can embrace these quirks, if there is something that makes you terribly unhappy and there’s a way to change it and make yourself happier with your appearance—in turn making you more confident in yourself—then I'm all for it!

Jessica Simpson Awarded for Exploring Real Beauty

Simpson at the 35th Annual Gracie Award Gala in L.A. where she received the Dove Real Beauty Award 

Only six months in, 2010 has already been a big year for Jessica Simpson. The singer/actress has responded to years of media criticism and scrutiny by questioning who and what truly defines beauty. And on May 25^th, The Alliance for Women in Media and Dove®, the global beauty brand, acknowledged her efforts, awarding Jessica Simpson the 2010 Dove Real Beauty Award.

Every year, the Dove Real Beauty Award honors the woman who best embodies and expresses the “substance and spirit” of real beauty through her life and career. Previous recipients include actress/comedienne Amy Poehler and journalist/TV host Lisa Ling.

Boyfriend: What's in the title?

Things couldn’t be better with your guy! For the past few months, you’ve been on romantic dates, met a bunch of his friends, had deep conversations, and shared some super amazing kisses. In fact, all evidence suggests that you’ve found yourself a pretty awesome boyfriend… the only question: is that what you call him?

In our crazy world of flirting, dating and hooking up, it’s become difficult to decide when he officially is or should be called your “boyfriend.” Is it something that comes after a certain amount of time—one month? three months? six? Or is it something to be decided early on, essential to establishing a real relationship?

And what truly defines a boyfriend—his title or his actions? And is one even valuable without the reassurance of the other?

Happy Birthday from Facebook and 800 of your closest friends

So I realize I haven't kept up with this in a while, so I'm uploading some posts, most of which I wrote a while ago, but figure should all be featured on one blog, starting with this birthday post. Haha, and yes, my 21st birthday was back in May... oops! 

Last week I celebrated my 21^st birthday. It was a great weekend of champagne, friends and family, and I loved every moment of it. But once the helium balloons began to deflate and the remains of my chocolate-frosted cake were long-gone, I faced the plethora of “happy birthday!!” Facebook posts that overwhelmed my wall.

I may be one of the few people that doesn’t post a generic “thanks for the birthday wishes,” and instead, I still try to sort through them each one by one, thanking everybody and trying to catch up as much as a wall post allows. Well this year, I realized that while around 200 people had sent me their best on Facebook, I had only received a dozen-or-so texts and emails, maybe a handful of actual calls, and even fewer hand-written cards. And not to complain, (I realize that so many people acknowledging my day was amazing and I really was deeply touched), but I did note the irony that Facebook—“the social networking sensation”—was actually limiting the true personal interaction I had with my friends on my birthday.

Is it best to go back to your first love? My thoughts at the end of junior year

There’s one week left of the semester, but boy has this semester changed my plans.

I’ve always had a solid vision of where I was going. At six or seven, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. One day, I would investigate the biggest scandals and cross-examine the highest-profile suspects, and then, with some brilliant closing statement, I’d win my big-time cases and bring justice to the world, time and time again, just like in the movies.

How to Jump-Start Your Self Confidence

In our heavily image-based society, self-confidence seems hard to come by—especially when the media and most consumer products look to profit from our insecurities. But we all deserve to be happy in our own skin and confident in ourselves. Here are some tried and true tips to quickly pick up your self esteem and work towards a happier, more confident you!

The Tastiest (and Healthiest) Dessert Yet!

With the weather heating up and the stress of finals on our hands, what could be better than guilt-free, delicious, healthy, frozen snacks. The best part is you can easily make them yourself—all you need is a freezer and some fresh seasonal fruit.

That’s right! You’d be amazed at how delicious frozen fruit is! It makes for an awesome snack when you’re up late cramming, or munching in front of the T.V. It also makes for awesome (and colorful) mid-summer party platters or for a slumber party with the girls.

The Online Relationship: Why do we do it??

I doubt you’re a stranger to the long-distance, not-really-official, mostly-conducted-online relationship. In fact, you may be involved in one now.

Well my girlfriends and I certainly are, and last week over sushi, I came to an epiphany as we tried to comfort one another with “mine-is-worse” stories.

Basically, we all had met amazing guys—guys we would be “officially” with right now… if only we were in the same location! We had met them while studying abroad, on a spring break in Florida, or at a party last month when he was visiting from Phoenix. Basically, we all felt we had met someone with whom we shared something really special, but the damn distance was keeping us apart.

Expose of Media Airbrushing

I absolutely loved this Newsweek expose of the unattainable beauty standards set by airbrushing in the media!! check out the full article and photos at http://www.newsweek.com/id/231629.

Tribute Center Sheds Light for Post-9/11 New Yorkers

It’s the firsthand accounts that pull at my heartstrings. It was the firsthand accounts at Yad Vashem, Jerusalem’s spectacular Holocaust memorial, and it was the firsthand accounts at Ground Zero. In fact, sixteen firsthand accounts played from my audio set, into my ears, through my brain and sat like a lump of coal in my chest, as I stood immersed in the dreadful morning and the subsequent months of September 11, 2001.

When does vegetarianism become a disorder?

Last summer, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) launched a billboard campaign that read, “Save the Whales. Lose the Blubber. Go Vegetarian.” It roused a great deal of controversy nationwide and was eventually pulled, but the concept itself hasn’t disappeared.

Although many women adapt vegetarian lifestyles to be healthier or to save animals and the environment, research suggests that some may honestly be more interested in losing weight.

The Power of Print

The end is near.

That’s what we’ve been hearing for years now, that the internet is slowly killing the print industry with every passing day. However, America’s top magazine publishers argue otherwise—and they’re launching a $90 million campaign to prove it.

Leading magazine publishers Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith, Time Inc. and Wenner Media are among the most competitive rivals in the media industry, but it turns out that rumors of print’s downfall is their biggest rival of all. So much so that they’ve come together to announce one of the largest print ad campaigns in history.

SHEER BRILLIANCE.

When I have more time, an article will DEFINITELY follow...

The New Dating Game

When walking on campus, have you ever seen a really fantastic girl with a somewhat ordinary guy? Or have you ever had to convince your roommate that she shouldn’t take back her scummy, cheating boyfriend… again? Or have you ever gotten yourself all dolled up—with perfect makeup, blown-out hair and 4-inch heels—only to sip margaritas with your girlfriends?

Welcome to the world of college dating in 2010.

my excuse for neglecting my blog this week.

It's Ellie Time!!

Keep out the red carpet and hold back the paparazzi 'cause the award shows aren’t over yet! Just as the Oscars award excellence in film, ASME, the American Society of Magazine Editors recognizes the best magazine publications of the year in a less-televised, but equally prestigious ceremony.

Ms. New Booty

Next time you’re tempted to ask the unfavorable, “Does my butt look big?” be ready to jump for joy if your smart-ass friends say “Yes.”

According to new research, some extra padding on your hips, tush and thighs may actually provide healthy benefits—contrary to the ever-impossible standards of beauty that the American media projects.

iMagazines? iDon’t know.

Apple has yet to confirm the release date for the iPad, (most likely late March/early April) but magazine companies are gearing up for what just might be the future of print publications. These reading tablets are expected to usher in an era of digital magazines that has the struggling industry practically jumping for joy.

The iSurgeon is awful, no matter how you slice it

Despite Nip/Tuck’s finale this week, there’s a new way to get your much-needed plastic-surgery-fix. (cough, hack, gag). The iSurgeon App brings plastic surgery to your fingertips—letting you test out what you (or your friends or the featured models) would look like after going under the knife. The iPhone application lets you modify (read: distort) your own photos with the swipe of a finger until you’re completely satisfied (or your image is so mangled that you can’t make out what it is anymore). By evaluating how closely you replicate the “perfect bod,” this game embodies pretty much everything that’s wrong with our heavily PhotoShopped media.

Here's the Plan:

When prompted to start my own blog, a couple ideas came to mind. First off, I'm super interested in the magazine industry, and I really love media crit. So I'm sure that will trickle in somehow or other. Also, I love working with the Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness, a great national organization that pushes for confidence and positive body image, esp. in our highly-demanding image-based culture. I'm also a sap for romantic comedies and certain TV shows, so I'm sure i'll spill some thoughts—and fawn over my favorite actors—here as well. 

I also do some graphic design work (some for the Alliance too!), so maybe I'll muster up the courage to upload some of my designs—haha but no promises! 

In general, I'm excited to share some of my favorite issues and topics and hopefully communicate some of my favorite messages from the Alliance and maybe even some fun tips and tricks to staying confident and in control of body image issues and keeping some of the messed up messages from our media in check. 

This poster is one of my favorites for Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2010—designed by Serafina Jeffery, an incredibly talented writer and graphic designer who bases a lot of her work on her recovery from her own Eating Disorder. (check her out on: www.herpower.org) EDAW 2010 is coming up next week (Feb. 21-27) and I'll try to keep up with reviews of some of the exciting events. 

Here we go...