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It's every girl's dream to be pretty, but nowadays too much emphasis is placed on looks.

Many girls have the wrong concept - the slimmer the prettier. The slimming trend has not only hit Hong Kong, but also the mainland. Many girls on the mainland pay a high price for losing weight. They resort to strange practices to lose a few extra pounds.

Chen, a 16-year-old girl from the mainland, has adopted the 'chilli slimming solution'. She believes slimness is the key  to finding a boyfriend.

The teenager has tried several times to lose weight, but it never worked.

Recently she heard from a classmate that chillies would help her lose weight.

She found several kinds of chilli ointment and bought  one which claims to be made from natural chilli  for 50 yuan (HK$47) with her breakfast money.

She applies the  ointment to her arms and thighs every night and does it secretly so her parents will not know.

'It feels uncomfortable,' she says. 'Sometimes my skin is burning and I can't sleep.' She believes the burning feeling is the result of burning fat.

Chen has not lost any weight so far, but she plans to continue with the treatment.

'By the way, this slimming method comes from Hong Kong,' she adds.

Dr Edmund Li Tsze-shing, head of the Department of Zoology at the University of Hong Kong,  says the chilli ointment might create a burning sensation because it releases heat, but there is no evidence that this slimming method works.

'There is no quick and safe way of losing weight. Combining weight loss products with special diets and exercise is the best solution. But then sometimes you can't tell whether it's the slimming products or the diet that's working,' Dr Li explains.

Quick solutions can be harmful to your health.

'If you lose weight too quickly, you will gain it all back,' Dr Li says.

Chen is not alone on the endless quest to lose weight. Some girls  exercise with  cling wrap bandaged around their bodies; some perform acupuncture on themselves, which can be dangerous; and some even turn to superstition and paint  pictures on their fingernails.

In most cases, these girls are not even over-weight. They just want to be slimmer than they already are.

The most drastic case was a female university student who heard from a friend on the internet that an abortion would help her lose weight dramatically, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The friend also persuaded her to exercise and go on diet immediately after her abortion.

The result was astonishing: she rapidly lost 40 kilograms, but also became very ill.

She was forced to drop out of university. She regrets it very much.

Medical professionals have warned women not to resort to such dramatic measures, says Dr Li.

He says women should ask two questions before embarking on a weight loss plan: Is the solution effective? And is it safe?

And bear in mind that whatever you do, you'll never have the figure of a model unless you have the right genes.



Desperate to lose weight