School girls starving to be size-zero ?

Ever since Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor flaunted her size zero figure in one of her films, it became a trend among young girls. In their desperate bid to acquire that figure, young girls have begun abandoning healthy food eating habits.

While a recent study conducted by a Mumbai college has revealed that most of the girls in private schools were obsessed with the size zero figure, schools in Ahmedabad have a different story to tell.

This size-zero trend is not seen in school girls but in young college going girls and older women.

Experts in Mumbai say most girls feel a slim figure will help them achieve success in the modelling world. Another study in Britain shows that girls aged below 14 years of age are prone to taking slimming pills.

Anita Verma, principal of Shanti Asiatic School says, "Girls in school are definitely conscious about good looks and grooming but they are being educated in a subtle way that emphasises more on health."

The spokesperson for Zydus Cadila School says, "Girls are very fond of fast food and weight obsession is no more taken that seriously. They might get conscious if they put on a little weight but starvation and unhealthy eating habits are not a trend."

Richard W Yates, director of Olive Green International School says, "Our school provides nutritious and healthy food which the children enjoy. Obviously girls at a certain age tend to become more aware of their physical appearance and want to have a size zero figure.

They prefer salads over potatoes and rich gravy food. But my experience is that this culture is more prevalent in the West as their food culture doesn't have the diversity that we have. The children there do not have many options to junk food. In India we have a variety of healthy food and it is available across states. We tell our students to develop a taste for healthy food and avoid fast food."

However, nutritionist Bindu Shah feels being skinny is now a trend seen in all age groups.

"People from all age groups tend to follow this trend of size zero and it is no more a school girl thing. I get so many women in their 40s who want to get into those close-fitting dresses for which they are ready to starve themselves."

Shweta Nagar, dietician says, "Getting a size zero figure has now become a common craze among young college going girls.  Getting into shape and losing weight for a healthy reason is good but doing the same in a wrong manner may lead to serious damage. Unfortunately, many college going girls starve themselves. This in turn leads to serious nutritional deficiencies. The weight loss achieved through starvation will not last long and it will bounce back once the person starts eating on a regular basis. One must consult a qualified dietician or a nutritionist before going on a diet.”