Size-Zero? Now that is a Weighty Issue!

"I wish I could have a figure like that of Kat or Kar yaar..", wailed my friend Nita. I was just wondering if cats and cars have excellent figures when my second companion- Ella -interjected, "You mean Katrina and Kareena? Me too. After all, 'size-zero' seems to be the fashion now..".
I found the conversation very boring.
" Come on!", I said, in a desperate attempt to steer the conversation to a different subject, "Let us visit the restaurant right over there". But inside the restaurant too, the same story continued. Nita and Ella ordered a small cup of coffee each (claiming to be on a diet), while I ordered four delicious looking pastries.
"Did you see Kareena in that black swimsuit in Kambakht Ishq?", asked Nita. I had had enough of this meaningless mourning. With my mouth filled to capacity I managed to point out that the weight of a person is not a major issue at all! So why all the fuss? But I should have remained silent- for Nita and Ella immediately pounced on me with their arguments. When I continued to stick to my views, Nita shrugged her shoulders and told me (rather pitifully), "Maybe you will never understand."
"And by the way", added Ella, throwing a nasty glance at the half-finished pastries on my plate, "You need to reduce your weight too.. You've gained five kilograms in the last three months!"
When I returned home, my grandmother (who was watching me with the air of a policeman scrutinizing a culprit) told me sternly that I was 'too thin' ( "as thin as a needle" to be specific) and that in her days, all the actresses used to be nice and plumpy. She also added that she had prepared some laadoos for me. "They are in the Kitchen. Eat them", she pleaded, "And try to shed this skinny, ugly look".
I smiled at the irony of the situation.
I made my way to the bedroom first. The laadoos could wait; but not my serious contemplation on weight.
So how is it that in the yesteryears, a voluptuous figure was every woman's desire; while now, the fairer sex (well-represented by my cronies) are dying to lose weight?
One reason might be the fact that towards the end of the 20th century, obesity was related to various problems pertaining to the heart. Soon, cooking-oils with low cholesterol and sugar-free capsules became famous. To advertise these commodities, advertisers needed thin models; and gradually slimness entered the fashion industry and subsequently the film industry too.
Another reason is the Indian woman's yearning to fit comfortably into Western wears like tight-fitting jeans, tops, etc.
But the fact of the matter is that having a 'size-zero' is neither a sign of beauty nor brains.
Our tinsel-town actresses may claim to feel good about staying slim. But if feeling good includes fainting while shooting for films and skipping meals everyday, I'd rather not buy that opinion.
So, the next time you plan to go on a diet, make sure that your health gets the higher priority.
'Size-Zero' is after all, a fashion trend; and trends keep changing. Hopefully, the day would soon arrive when the 'curvy but fit' figure would return and I could perhaps turn to Nita and say, "Maybe you will never understand!"