Too Skinny?

My friend was recently on the "90210" set and the first thing I asked him about his visit was, "What did those girls look like in person?" He shook his head and told me, "The girl who plays Silver ... it's scary.. she's too thin!"

It is scary. Two of "90210's" stars -- 18-year-old Shenae Grimes and 21-year-old Jessica Stroup -- are significantly and horrifyingly underweight, especially when you take into consideration that what we're seeing on TV includes 10 additional "camera pounds."

The gossip from the set is that Shenae and Jessica have gotten even thinner since the show started and that some of their cast members have become so concerned that they are planning an intervention.

I hope that's true. Think about how tired and cranky you get when you haven't eaten. Now think about the extremely long hours and the intense pressure that these young women are subjected to. If Shenae and Jessica don't start taking their health more seriously, their bodies are going to react negatively.

In an LA Times piece addressing the issue, a few older and highly respected actresses (like Holly Hunter and Kyra Sedgwick) were also called out for being on the super skinny side, but there is something far more inherently wrong about casting emaciated actresses in a show targeted at young women. "Gossip Girl" may be "every parent's nightmare" and "mind-blowingly inappropriate," but at least those exceptionally hot-looking girls look like they've eaten breakfast.

Clearly the olden days of the original "Beverly Hills, 90210," which featured girls with normal teenage bodies (until Tori Spelling got implants), are long gone. An Entertainment Weekly article about this very issue made the observation that "Mad Men" is the only current show where "the exaggerated hourglass ... is the very definition of sexy. But, alas, her curves are another prop of the era."

Maybe the positive thing about all of this is that the audience has responded with an appropriate amount of shock, horror, and concern. And perhaps we're finally acknowledging the fact that someone actually can be too thin.

Secrets to Staying Inspired About Your Life

By Lucy Danziger
SELF Editor-in-Chief

Today I'm sharing favorite ways to stoke my passion, creativity and determination -- my no-fail strategies for getting and staying inspired, no matter what my aim or what’s going on in my day.
One of my favorites: I’ve created a photo collage on my bulletin board at home of beautiful, triumphant, inspiring images of women meeting all kinds of physical challenges and looking gorgeous, strong and confident. I especially love old black-and-white fashion photographs, as well as Olympians and luscious beauty shots.

The mix is key. Right now, my all-time favorite picture comes from Triathlete Magazine -- it’s of a woman biking in the Kona Ironman in Hawaii, looking glowing, focused, in control and serenely beautiful, which is exactly what I aspire to be when I am at my physical best.

Try these two other tips for inspiring yourself to greater feats, whether of physical endurance or creativity:

1. Make a wonder list. Jot down 10 experiences that have made an impact on you, whether it’s taking a hot air balloon ride or a trip to a beautiful place, or listening to a favorite writer do a reading. “Focusing on something you find inspiring rather than pressuring yourself to [perform] helps your brain shift gears for those aha moments,” says Michael J. Gelb, author of Discover Your Genius (Harper Collins).

2. Get uncomfortable. When life becomes too routine, you may find that your thinking becomes routine, too. Break out of your rut by doing at least one thing differently each day -- advice that works when you’re exercising, too! Instead of having coffee at your desk, for instance, go to a coffee shop with a colleague or sit outside and exchange ideas. The more variety you seek out, the more inspired you’ll be.

Moments of silence mark 9/11 terrorist attacks

NEW YORK - Relatives of victims killed at the World Trade Center are observing moments of silence to mark the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The ceremony at ground zero included moments of silence at 8:46 a.m. and 9:03 a.m. — the times that two hijacked jets slammed into the twin towers. Two more moments of silence were to be held at the times the towers fell.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg opened the ceremony by telling the tearful audience: "Today marks the seventh anniversay of the day our world was broken."

Other ceremonies are being held throughout the day around the country, including in Washington and in Pennsylvania. Barack Obama and John McCain are due at ground zero to pay silent respects. (AMY WESTFELDT, Associated Press)