Size Zero has become so trendy possibly, because of the number zero itself, which stands for null or nil. Zero indicates finality or perfection, in a twisted sort of way. There’s never been a worse time to be fat. Thin equals happy and Size Zero equals happiest. What’s more, the 22 inch waist is considered attainable and something worth striving for. “If you want a 22-inch waist in your 30s, basically you can’t eat,” says nutritionist and weight consultant Shikha Sharma. She says it’s possible during adolescence when the female body is still developing, but not after. Sharma now turns down the occasional plea she gets from a frantic parent who sends a reed-thin daughter to her to gain weight. “I found we could not negotiate logically with them. We tell them we’ll prescribe high nutrition, calorie-free foods, but they don’t listen,” she says. However, a majority of Sharma’s clients is in their 30s and needs to shed some excess kilograms. But the few teenagers and 20-somethings who are her clients have a different aspiration level of thinness. “The teens come and say they want a body like Kareena’s or Beyonce’s and get hysterical about it,” says Sharma.

International labels in India don’t stock Size Zero. Mango starts at a UK Size 6, the equivalent of a US Size 2 and W, a label for ethnic wear that did an extensive sizing study in India before identifying seven different female body types, have a Petite, that’s equivalent to a UK 8 (26-inch waist). Nainika Karan, who runs the label Gauri & Nainika with her sister and is a petite size herself, says they prefer to use slightly fuller models for their shows. “Our garments look better on full bodied women, or they fall flat on the ramp,” says Nainika. She also attributes sizing to height. “Size Zero on a 5-foot frame might look okay, but its too little for 5’8,” she says.

... contd.