Dubai: If you offered someone cotton balls soaked in gelatine or bits of tapeworm in a pill, you would expect them to look worriedly at you and hurry along in the opposite direction.
But, in a world populated by size-zero celebrities and skinny lattes, these bizarre items are apparently part of popular diets — all in the name of body image.
Gulf News asked young readers about the need to look good. The results were interesting. Apparently, youngsters in the UAE are not that bothered about body image. Their focus is on eating healthy and looking fit.
Samira Yousuf, a 19 year old, said: "As long as you are healthy then your body image doesn't really matter".
Readers said the media were the culprits, as they promote negative ideas.
Thomson Pavelli, an 18 year old, said: "Teenagers ... when they see something on TV, in magazines, on billboards, they believe it right away".
The fashion industry in the UAE is working to make an effort to introduce healthy-looking models.
Maria Zakharova, a designer, said: "We're ... trying to accommodate everyone of every body shape and size".
