For kids, thin's in

NIKITA DOVAL / TNN / Apr 25, 2006, 21:08 IST

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'Mummy, I want to be thin' seems to be the clarion call of 6 to 12-year-olds in the city.

'Mummy, I want to be thin' seems to be the clarion call of 6 to 12-year-olds in the city, as puppy fat gives way to eating disorders.
'Fat is the first insult a girl throws at another when she wants to hurt her. Is fat really the worst thing a human being can be?
Is 'fat' worse than 'vindictive', 'jealous', 'shallow', 'vain', 'boring' or 'cruel'? I've got two daughters and I'd rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny, a thousand things, before thin'.
The Britain-based creator of Harry Potter is very angry, just like numerous other parents all over the globe. The reason: Kids' obsession with turning thin. And we are not even talking about figure-conscious teens here, but 6-12 year olds who want to look "slimmer, like their friends and the pretty people out there."

Take Samit Diwan, for example. This 8-year-old was a dedicated chocoholic before his classmates started calling him 'fat'. "Now he has given up on high-calorie foods and asks which exercise can help him lose fat. I am surprised that my son even knows such words," says mother Anita.
Sanaa Gupta, a homemaker, thinks Anita is still lucky. "My daughter is all of nine and thinks that she needs to start 'getting in shape.' She avoids eating heavy stuff and wants to know if a new outfit makes her look fat. She insists that all her friends are thin and she does not want to be the odd one out."

These are just a part of an increasing majority of children for whom being thin is not just a requirement but a necessity. "I have got kids below 10 joining my classes now.
They are very conscious of their looks and want to lose all that puppy fat ASAP. Despite reminding them that they have the right mix of muscle and fat, they are not convinced," says aerobics instructor Priyanka Sharma.
Emancipated models staring at them from magazine covers and ever shrinking movie and TV starlets, apart from peer pressure, all play their part when it comes to making children aware of these trends.
Family atmosphere also plays a crucial role. "I knew there was trouble afoot when my teenage daughter's paranoia about gaining weight began to rub off on my 8-year-old son who started insisting on diet coke, wheat pasta and salad," rues Srikant Naithani, a TV producer.
"Children today are internalising images about fitness and a body image which is based on stereotypes. They feel that hourglass figures and six pack abs are the way to go since it is beamed into their life all the time.
The body image becomes a social identity and beauty and success are equated with physical attributes," says psychiatrist Jitendra Nagpal. At times, even the parents, with their hectic schedules and different ways of staying fit can project wrong ideas to the children.
"Children today are far more aware than the previous generation because they have access to so much information," feels dietician Shikha Sharma. "It is not just the teachers but also parents and siblings who should make it clear as to what is good and what is not," adds Sharma.

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