secretary general

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You could call it the Sonakshi/Sonam syndrome. And it's making itself amply evident across India, among young girls shedding their extra kilos to sport a svelte figure. The Sonakshi Sinha of "Dabangg" is a far cry from the plump girl that she was till only a year ago. According to reports, Sonakshi was around 30 kgs overweight before she made her big screen debut. Sonam Kapoor too is reported to have been some 90 kgs before she debuted in "Saawariya". From overweight adolescents to fab figure femmes, these actresses exemplify an increasing trend among young girls. According to obesity consultant and practising dietitian Deepika Bhalla, the frequency with which she comes across such cases of young girls wanting to lose weight is alarming. "Girls who're happy being plump in school suddenly become conscious of their looks when they turn 16 or 18. And since that's the time when their college life also begins, they're at pains to look their best. There is also a great deal of peer pressure to look better than your friends," says Deepika, adding, "And the advantage in these times is that you can lose weight pretty quickly, thanks to all the treatments, diets and advice available in the market." So losing a mammoth 15 kgs to fit in to college was no big deal for 19-year-old Eesha Chopra, who is still about 10 kgs overweight. "I'm a foodie and all my school years, I indulged myself. But when I entered college, I became conscious about my figure. Boys would pass remarks. And girls with good figures inspired me to finally hit the gym. Now that I have lost almost 15 kg weight, I feel more confident," says Eesha. Niha Khan, centre manager of a gym in the city, says it's not uncommon for girls in the age group of 16 to 21 to come looking for instant weight loss. "At that age, they certainly want to look their best," she says, citing the example of a girl who lost 17 kgs in just three months! Dr Rama Srivastava, secretary general of the UP Cosmetologists and Beauticians Association (UPCBA) finds this attitude "maddening". "I see almost 40 per cent of girls between the age of 16 and 22 and almost 20 per cent of boys, bending over backwards to maintain a lean look. And they will go to any extent to remain thin, which is not the same thing as being fit. Of course missing meals is the most common manner," she says, highlighting the unhealthy patterns that the trend is falling into. The biggest harm, points out Dr Srivastava, is that this is also an age where individuals build what she terms as the "infrastructure for life". "They have to find an occupation, get married, have children... If they are not healthy enough how will all this happen?" she asks. While losing excess weight is a good thing, as perhaps may be the case with Sonakshi Sinha, trying to get a Perfect 10 figure overnight is a dangerous trend, warn experts. According to clinical psychologist and psychotherapist Varkha Chulani, "The size zero fad has girls equating beauty with the kind of figure they have. And they start believing that they need to have a perfect figure to look great. This results in over-exercising and going under the knife, which jeopardizes their body."