Why being thin is not beautiful
Editor
Why being thin is not beautiful {editor}It is worrying to note that obesity is becoming a pandemic.(1) However, what is equally disturbing is the lack of public awareness of health risks associated with being underweight. This ignorance, together with the indoctrinations from the media and fashion industry, has given rise to a society that is obsessed with thinness as is evident by the enormous selection of videos and books related to obtaining this elusive "body beautiful." This obsession, at its zenith, leads to predictable and tragic consequences: anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

These eating disorders and their high morbidities are well known to the public, but less well known are the risks from simply being underweight. These include depression, amenorrhoea, impotence, osteoporosis, cardiovascular problems, and complications after major surgery, to name but a few. These are serious risks comparable to those of obesity, yet they are nowhere near as well publicised.

In view of the above, the medical profession should therefore concentrate on preventing not only obesity but also underweight. The latter, I believe, is best achieved by eradicating the notion that thinness equates with beauty. What better place to start than the front cover of "Vogue": This woman is a risk to your health.

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