Bollywood may be bowled over by Size Zero. But the Delhi High Court hardly agrees with the trend.

The court’s take on how fat is fashionably fat came out in the open during a discussion between one of the country’s top government advocates, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Gopal Subramanium, and a Division Bench of Justices A K Sikri and J R Midha on what would be the “optimum fitness” for an Indian Airlines air-hostess.

“We do not want air-hostesses to be Size Zero. Even models now do not want to be Size Zero,” Justice Sikri lightly put the rather “weighty” appeal of an Indian Airlines stewardess grounded for tipping the weight scale. The “overweight” air-hostesses were in June 2007 left with the thin choice of “either battle the bulge or face the axe” by a Single Bench of Justice Rekha Sharma.

Justice Sharma, a senior lady judge in the High Court, had rationalised the public carrier’s decision on two factors: Cut-throat competition and high-altitude emergencies.

The Single Bench had in its verdict even bothered to pep up the spirits of the air-hostesses by drawing a parallel from the Scriptures: “If by perseverance snail could reach the Ark, why can’t these worthy ladies stand on and turn the scale”.

The debate, meanwhile, progressed to broach the ills of aspiring to be thin, and the ASG was keen to correct the Bench that Size Zero was not the same as the “mental condition” called anorexia. “Anorexia is a psychological problem and requires treatment. It is quite a different issue all together,” said ASG Subramanium. He assured the court that the public air carrier does indeed employ “extremely seasoned” air-hostesses who continue to the age of superannuation of 58 years. “They go on to be teachers in flying crew training schools,” pointed out Subramanium.

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