The Rise and Fall of Fat in India

The Rise and Fall of Fat in India - NYTimes.com

"For a long time in India, fat has meant good. For centuries the ideal Indian woman and child have been Rubenesque, with no visible bone structure. Statues of goddesses are well-rounded. Baby pictures of the god Krishna are cuddly. Even in the 1970’s the actress Sridevi, affectionately known as “Thunder Thighs,” used to say she would force herself to overeat in order to “maintain her figure” — the ample one her fans knew and adored.

Being fat is a sign of having made it, like having a Birkin bag. Being fat means you are rich enough to afford a lot of food and to avoid physical labor. Being fat means you’re well-loved and cared for, and perhaps all this ultimately links fatness to happiness. And conversely, being thin has meant being impoverished — economically, socially, cosmetically.

Now we are in the midst of a historical change in connotation: Being fat no longer means that you are prosperous, but rather that you don’t have the time, money or wherewithal to keep yourself in shape."