Anushka Sharma raises 'sub-zero' fever among young girls

Once upon a time there was size zero, and then came the sub-zero.

After actress Kareena Kapoor faced flak for promoting size zero — with young girls going on crash diets and adopting other unhealthy eating habits to acquire that figure — it’s actress Anushka Sharma’s sub-zero size that has caused a flutter now.

Sharma’s pictures from a recent party have shocked dieticians in Mumbai.

Senior dietician Shilpa Joshi, who runs Mumbai Diet and Health Center in Bandra, said, “I saw her picture in a newspaper and was shocked. People should follow the principle ‘Eat healthy and stay healthy’. Most people who follow a crash diet often fall sick. In a desperate bid to acquire a size zero, young girls are abandoning healthy eating habits. Most compare themselves to friends, film stars and compete with them to lose weight faster. This will result in low immunity to diseases and other problems.”

Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar said, “People should stop comparing their bodies with others. We don’t know what Anushka’s diet is or how she got this figure, but it’s important that people don’t copy it and take care of their health.”  

“People should lose weight slowly. For instance, it they lose three kilos, they should maintain this loss for at least five to six years. What we see, however, is a yoyo pattern where people lose weight successfully when they follow a particular diet, but find difficult to maintain it in the long run. They then seek to lose the regained weight, and the cycle continues,” Joshi added.

DNA’s report on August 5 (Starving to score size zero) highlighted a study conducted by Sir Vithaldas Thackersey College of Home Science at the SNDT campus in Santa Cruz, which revealed that most girls in private schools were obsessed with size zero.

Dr Jagmeet Madan, president of the Indian Dietetics Association (Mumbai Chapter) said, "Looks can be deceptive, and thinness or leanness can also be associated with nutritional deficiency. Many youngsters, who are unaware of the ill effects of crash diets, follow it just because of peer pressure. Some diets may be not suited for their bodies. People should consult a registered dietician before going on a diet."

A senior doctor from Lilavati hospital said, "We have seen girls starving themselves to acquire a size zero. They skip meals due to misconceptions about food and fear of putting on weight. They should consult a good dietician."