Now, she is more than 10 stone, with a 32-inch waist. Yet the women appearing on screen and in fashion spreads are much slimmer than they were 50 years ago, says Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA head of science. In the past, there has always been some models or actresses who didn't fit the norm, but you rarely see that today. And although thin is in, as in the 1960s when the waif-like Twiggy held sway on the fashion pages, that ideal has been updated to a slender frame with defined muscles and fulsome bosoms. By demanding this, we are damaging the health of these people, possibly permanently.
Men can be susceptible to the six-pack tyranny.
Today, rock-hard abdominals and perky pecs are de rigeur for a Hollywood leading man. Witness last year's film Fight Club. Edward Norton, playing a wimp desperate to rediscover his masculinity, sported a body that would not have looked out of place in a Mr Puniverse competition, whereas co-star Brad Pitt's aspirational hard man had hardly an ounce of fat on his frame. 300lb, so the body remains the last refuge of masculinity. Dr Nathanson says there is no one factor leading to an unhealthy preoccupation with body size and weight.