This story is from December 24, 2010

Thin, no longer in?

Priyanka Arora / Dec 24, 2010, 00:00 IST

Text Size

Small
Medium
Large

While skinny models face the axe Down Under, is the Indian ramp ready for bigger and better things?

While skinny models face the axe Down Under, is the Indian ramp ready for bigger and better things?
The next time you crib about not having that waif-like figure, remember that the popular trend of “size-zero” is not so fashionable anymore. In fact, you might as well be chided for being too skinny.
With the Australian government mulling a fresh ban on skinny models in a bid to prevent glamourisation of risky, unhealthy eating patterns among young kids, it is clear that being thin is no longer in.The current trend of airbrushing being used to make slender models look healthier can best be perceived as the industry’s backlash against those promoting the go-skinny mode.
A controversy sparked off recently in international media when the pictures of Polish model, Kamilla Wladyka, were airbrushed before being featured on the cover page of a health magazine. With health magazines featuring size zero models, one simply doesn’t know where to draw the line between ‘realistic’ health magazines and ‘superficial’ fashion magazines. The size zero concept which was responsible for body image issues and eating disorders among thousands of women is finally being rebuked by nutritionists, celebrity photographers and youngsters all over the world.

Model Nayanika Chatterjee says, “I’m on a holiday right now but I’m more concerned about how I will manage to fit into those tiny, designer clothes once I’m back for the shoots. Even gaining 2kg can put a lot of stress on us. I’ve never been skinny. In fact, my size remains the same ever since I started modelling. However, one does see skinny models dominating the ramps now and I fail to understand why the designers expect us to fit into these really tiny clothes. I’ve never been in favour of this skinny trend. I wish the young girls could understand that there is a difference between being skinny and being healthy. And not everybody’s built is meant to be skinny but you can definitely choose to be healthy.”

Kriti Sharma, a college student who has always been on the heavier side of the weighing scale, shares, “I have been pressurized a lot to lose weight but since I’m lazy I’m cool with myself.” Another student, Rhea Shrivastava, says, “I believe it’s very important to be fit, even slim till a certain extent. Obviously, I do feel bad when I see slimmer girls. But then that’s okay.”
Dr. Honey Khanna, head dietician at Max Hospital, is in favour of banning skinny models and suggests that similar stringent actions should be implemented in the Indian fashion industry too. She says, “I was on the judging panel for Lakme India Fashion Week a few years ago and to my horror, 18 out of the 20 shortlisted models were undernourished. Before a show, they would simply stop eating or drinking in order to have a flat tummy, however, after the show they would be seen eating whatever came their way. Being skinny is an unhealthy trend.”
Follow us on Twitter for more stories

End of Article