Article: Laurie Crook from women24
Image: Ablestock

The banning of size 0 models from European catwalks last year was lauded as a triumph in the fight against anorexia. However, these international attempts at fighting eating disorders seem to be largely ineffective in
South Africa.

The obsession with thin is still growing strong in SA, with 21% of low income coloured women revealing in the Women24.com 2008 Female Nation Survey that they have suffered from an eating disorder. The stats for low and high income white, black and Asian women are similarly alarming.

South African celebrities tend to be a little less waif-like than their Tinseltown counterparts. But while women maybe comfortably sexy-heavier, SA men seem prone to trying to squishing us back into the Gisele Bunchen cookie cutter.

SA women: 'overweight, slovenly, desperate'...

A lot of men express the opinion that SA women in general are "larger" than women abroad. Could this be why less than 15% of us are "very happy" with their bodies?

I remember how last year a Dutch exchange student, who was working with me in the National Arts Festival press room, told a colleague of mine how "big" South African women are compared to the meisjes back in Holland.

And who can forget the slimy remarks made by Kevin van den Bergh in a 2007 You Magazine interview, where he claimed that he chose a Russian bride because SA women are "overweight, slovenly, desperate and full of complexes."

What I'd like to know is how many men agree with the opinions quoted above? Are my reservations about anorexic clothes-dummies and cadaverous celebrities over the top, because South African women actually do need to lose a few kilos? Or is it possible that it's this sort of ridiculous fixation on weight and slimming that causes us to have body issues in the first place?

What do you think? Join the discussion, or simply let us know what you think of Kevin van den Bergh, by using the comment box below.