One in three Hong Kong females finds clothing sizes too small, survey shows The devil may not wear Prada but he definitely likes to make women wear small clothes - or make them feel guilty or even suicidal if they don't fit into them. One in three women find sizes too small in Hong Kong and 4 per cent have thought about suicide because they cannot find clothes that fit, according to an Eating Disorders Association survey. The association urged the fashion industry to provide a wider choice of clothing sizes and to refrain from displaying XS-sized clothes and employing ultra-thin models. Over 600 women aged 16 or above were interviewed for the survey. Of the respondents, 45.4 per cent - or 274 women - confessed they often had difficulty buying clothes of a suitable size, even though more than half of them were of medium size. Of these 274 women, 70.8 per cent blamed limited sizes, about 85 per cent tried to lose weight to fit clothes and about 66 per cent became sensitive to others' gazes. Twenty eight women - or about 4 per cent of the surveyed total - have thought about suicide. 'The trend of thinking 'thin is beautiful' has become very unhealthy in the city,' said association executive officer Philippa Yu Man-wai, also a social worker. 'The overwhelming slimming advertisements have pushed many women to lose weight blindly to wear smaller clothes. They feel guilty or ashamed for wearing a large size. This can increase the risk of developing eating disorders.' She criticised the fashion industry for making smaller clothes, so even a normal-sized woman might find L-sized clothes too tight. In Europe, Spain and Italy banned ultra-thin models from catwalks earlier this year to combat anorexia, the condition that causes women to starve themselves. The association said it would be difficult to legislate against thin models in Hong Kong, but it hoped the fashion industry would exercise self-control. It suggested traders should provide more clothing sizes, avoid employing models with a body mass index (BMI) lower than 17.5, and try to exhibit M sizes in displays. It also urged the government to regulate the advertising of slimming food products. According to the World Health Organisation, the normal BMI of an Asian should be between 18.5 and 23. Twenty-five-year-old Ah Ling, who has a BMI of 23.6, is frustrated with buying clothes and has developed early signs of developing an eating disorder. She is receiving psychotherapy at the association. 'I am a bit overweight, but I don't think my problem is very serious. However, I found even an XL-sized polo shirt too small for me,' she said, adding that she often wore black to look slimmer. 'The psychologist said I should not lose weight at the moment because of the eating disorder. 'Yet, I think I will do so later anyway because I have to cope with the culture. It is unfair, but what can I do? I don't want to be discriminated against.' Of the approximately 130 respondents who had difficulties buying clothes: 85% had tried to lose weight 68% lacked self-confidence 30% thought there was no hope in life
