It became a craze before 2009 ended but “Drop Dead Diva’s” double personality character Jane Bingum, played by Brooke Elliot, continues to make a buzz among women, as well as influence its audience in more ways than one!

It’s not surprising how different women can relate to the dramedy’s “two-in-one” lead character since it was launched on Q Channel 11 last December. Although some may find the concept – the soul of a beautiful lady (Deb Dobson, played by Brooke D’Orsay) aspiring to be a model relegated to the deceased body of a plus-size lawyer (Bingum) through divine intervention – as unoriginal and just another interpretation of an idea that’s been around for who knows how long now, the Deb-in-Jane mechanism allows the audience to identify with the lead’s whims, particularly with how the Deb in her struggles to go back to her slender body while managing Jane’s inherent craving for an unhealthy diet.

“Drop Dead Diva” (which airs every Friday, 8:30 p.m. on Q11) may be placing Jane’s image as a plus-size woman at the forefront of its comedic approach. But it’s not all for the sake of comedy.

The series somehow seems to make commentaries about being overweight and the issues surrounding it, and not for the audience to make fun of the idea but to make them understand that there’s really more to it than diet and your regular weight loss plan.

Take for instance Deb’s first legal case as Jane. Just as when she’s adjusting to her new life – inside her new body and with a new profession – she was assigned to the case of a cocktail waitress, Lucy Tyner, who was kicked out of her job for being overweight.

Apparently, Lucy’s contract with the bar she’s employed with says that any change in physical appearance may result to job termination. But Jane’s visit to the bar proved that this rule was not implemented as is because other waitresses have actually changed their appearances too – through cosmetic surgeries and makeovers – but they were never fired!

And because her superior, J. Parker, was worried to lose Lucy’s union as one of their big clients, he summoned a witness to testify that the termination of Lucy was in violation of an act concerning those with disabilities. But Jane and Lucy herself refused to recognize that being large is a “disability,” so Jane made sure Parker would not meddle in the case and eventually secured for Lucy and her co-workers a settlement which protects them from body type discrimination. In the end, both Lucy and Jane won, as the case allowed Jane to accept her new body.

That is just one thing that’s notable about “Drop Dead Diva”– its attempt to attack the fact that self-esteem is affected by body image is further highlighted by the premise that’s it’s a former model living in a plus-size body who carries the dilemma. And because it can only be made possible on TV, Deb-in-Jane lives off her personality and her memories while Jane’s intellect and big appetite for food are retained. It’s just one witty trick to make a point that no matter how hard Jane as Deb powers through diet schemes in order to lose weight, fact is the battle within her is more physiological than psychological. In other words, it’s not that easy!