weighty issue

I used to think it's only British, who have nothing else to talk except weather (apart from food, of course). Now, I see that even Indians are gradually having dearth of topics. The topic of conversation we Indians love to indulge the most, is `people's weight'.

Of course, weather too remains one of our most favourite topics but weight comes heavily on everything else. Whether it is two friends meeting after a long or two colleagues bumping into each other after a long gap - the conversation invariably starts with `weight'. This weighty discussions take place even behind the back of people in question.

What coaxed me to raise this issue are two recent incidents....

I happened to meet an old colleague of mine after a gap of over six months and the welcoming words from him were -- ``Ooohhh... Is everything alright with you? You have lost so much weight! You are looking so weak...''!!

Miffed, I didn't know what to say - so I apologised for being so negligent to my health and also blamed my busy schedule for bringing me to this misery of being slim.

The fact is that my weight has got stuck to 50 kilos for last many years and I practice Yoga to maintain and stay around that nice number. God too had always been kind to me for not letting me grow fat ever. The situation has however perturbed many, who are concerned about my well being. (Now that's a different story that they would never call me to know about my welfare).

I started wondering if this guy has nothing else to ask me or could he not find any other way to start the conversation!! (In such cases talking of weather is better, I suppose.)

A few days later, I saw a photo caption story in an English daily. The story was on an Indian film star Kareena Kapoor, who started the trend of zero figure in the Indian film industry. The photographer had captured the lovely actress in three different angles. In all the photos the actress was wearing short dresses revealing her long legs. However, the photographer had his lens focused on her thighs. The shutterbug had tried to conclude how negligent Kareena Kapoor was towards her figure, which made her gain excess fat on her thighs.

I tried to look at the pictures from different angles - unfortunately, I could not see any excess fat and the actress to me looked as ravishing as she always does.

I realised then that again if there is nothing to talk - talk about weight, especially when the person in question is a woman. The same rule does not apply to men. Never one must have heard men commenting on their mates' weight - even if they are fat, or look like match stick or have a big, ugly paunch.

I want to ask all such people who are concerned about people's weight so much ---

What's my colleague's problem if I have lost a few kilos

And what's this photographer's concern if Kareena has gained a few pounds.

Please, get a life!!! And for God's sake let people live their lives. Let them decide how much fat they would love to see on their bodies. If we are happy in our skins, it should not bother our friends and well wishers. Spare us women, please. We are grown and mature enough to watch our weight, we don't need weight watchers.

Go, and read some good literature and watch some thought provoking movies. Watch some sports, develop some hobby and get involved in some creative activity and you will then have no dearth of topics to talk about!!!