Ultra thin is not in. Size-zero bodies a la Kareena Kapoor may look good on Page 3 and entertainment colour spreads, but they are are pushing Indian women towards excessive dieting, and what’s more, being "un Indian", say doctors and nutritionists.

The Indian media has been starry-eyed about Kareena’s lean looks in her recent release Tashan. This trend is an about-turn from earlier decades when Bollywood prided itself on its well-endowed curvaceous women, the symbol of traditional Indian femininity.

The industry’s first "size zero" female lead, Kareena Kapoor, 28, is alarming nutritionists and experts. They fear that the Western standard of reed-thin bodies may pose psychological and health problems to millions of young women in the country who look up to Bollywood as their role models.

Kapoor lost several pounds for Tashan to fit into irreverent denim cut-off and skimpy bustiers. The actress says the "lean mean look" which the movie demanded was the result of power yoga and a special "ultra-slim" diet.

But critics and doctors have hit out, saying the measurements were "un-Indian".

"Indian women must understand that no matter how flattering thin bodies of actresses and models may seem to be, but their general body frame is not genetically designed to suit such a structure," Parul Chudhary, a freelance dietician, told IANS.

She added that going on crash diets definitely helps people in achieving quick results, but it is not a healthy practice.

"It is important to eat right and at the right time. Six small meals in a day with 15 to 20 glasses of water during summer and 30 minutes of exercise would help one to be healthy and fit," she suggested.