Little Girls Forever

In my generation, there is an epidemic of girls starving themselves for beauty. "Starve ourselves 'till we're hotties" as Francine from American Dad puts it, is the result of anorexia, and younger girls are refusing to eat for fear of being labelled fat.

Beauty and eternal youth is something I believe we all strive for in our lifetime, yet I for one know, age is inevitable. There is, however, something strangely alluring of young female humans; particularly petite short girls. As in the case in my book, The Lonely Walk, Jif's wife Yuzuyu isn't just short and petite, but also dependent on her husband, as she is incontinent and has to wear a "pad". I do believe that many men want to take care of their women, and have them totally dependant on the males in the family.

But nothing could prepare me for what I read in the Daily Mail a few months ago. A young woman, with the frail body of a twelve year old. Victoria Hensley, Twenty Three, had frozen her body in time through an extreme dieting program.

Apparently Miss Hensley only began to starve herself at age twelve when bullies attacked her for being a "swot". But despite being just 5ft 2in tall and at 5 and a half stone, she hold great pride in her look and will not change her lifestyle.

"I found if I looked younger and took a more fragile appearance it frightened off the bullies," said the optician's daughter from Croydon, Surrey, to the Daily Mail. "Even teachers warmed to my vulnerable child-like appearance, treating me more sympathetically and giving me more attention. Now, I can't imagine what it would be like to be a curvy woman."

One has to admire her commitment to being different. I too get sick of the hundreds of "show off" scantily dressed women in Britain alone; though its difficult to see a relationship possible with a pencil thin girl.

More to the point, Vikki may not live that long. She has never had a period, or had a boyfriend. Her fertility may have been damaged, and doctors warn of damage to her kidneys and liver.

As for how she became like this, she says, "I don't eat at regular times. Instead I nibble throughout the day on raw vegetables, cooked Swede, tiny portions of tuna and occasionally a square of chocolate."

Are we living in a world of anorexics? Are we setting an example of freak-ism for our children? I will leave you to answer that one.