What is the reasoning behind the current obsession with achieving a?

Question

size zero (U.K size 4) My 12 year old neice weighs six stone and is a size four and even at her young age the doctors say she is underweight. She isn't anorexic just hasn't reached puberty yet and the doctor says she will gain weight as she hits puberty.
I just can't understand why any fully grown woman would strive to look like a pre pubescent child. Come on you size zero wannabes, igmore the media and get a grip.

Answer 1

I completely agree with you that the wannabe zeros need to just get a grip and be happy with their bodies at a healthy weight. However, I deal with anorexic girls often and if someone is suffering from anorexia, it is a mental illness, not just an obsession with vanity. I've known girls that were in the hospital for malnutrition and were trying to pull the tubes out of their arms and throats that were keeping them alive. I'm not suggesting at all that your niece is anorexic! I agree, when she hits puberty, she'll most likely gain weight in appropriate places in a healthy manner if she is moderately good to her body.
-but i think there is hope that we may be moving on from the age of Twiggy and waif prepubecent-bodies. Women with curves are being seen on the runway for the first time since Betty Grable and it's so nice to see!
God Bless

Answer 2

I completely agree with you. Healthy curves are what distinguish a woman's body with that of a twelve-year old boy. It's very difficult to explain this to some people however. A girl with whom I worked years ago was a size 6, and would mention occasionally that she wanted to be a size 0 and have "really skinny legs". (which I think look rather bad BTW) I would explain to her that there is nothing wrong with being a size 6 and that a person doesn't have to be a size 0 to be pretty, but she wouldn't hear it. To those that still want diet down to a size 0, go ahead. Drink tons of water, eat your crackers, and leave me to my turkey burger. :)