THE FAT LADIES SING

The story of precisely how Xiao8217;s group came to be is a window onto the challenges of being obese in a country where the ideal form of feminine beauty is delicate, girlish and small-boned. Only about 7 per cent of the population in China is considered obese, compared with 30 per cent of the population in the United States. Not long ago, having overweight children in China was viewed as a sign of prosperity. But chubby is no longer in fashion here. Summer boot camps for the overweight are springing up. Employers demand height and weight information from job candidates. And in higher education, fitness can now be a reason to reject college applicants.

Said Wang Zeqing, a psychologist who is leading a project analysing the psychological health of Chinese, 8220;Being fat, in people8217;s minds, means not trendy and healthy.8221;

It was against this backdrop that Xiao struggled to make a life for herself. Growing up in the city of Xuzhou, she took weight-loss pills at 5. Her embarrassed parents refused to hold her hand in public and enrolled her in what she recalls as a 8220;devil eating program8221; that allowed participants to eat only fruit and drink only water. She had wanted to become a chemistry teacher she said, but officials feared she couldn8217;t stand up in a classroom for 45 minutes at a time.

Four years ago, in desperation, Xiao placed an ad in a local newspaper, begging for someone to help her lose weight or find a job. Hu Zhi, a public relations agent in Nanjing, saw it. He decided to add her to his roster of 8220;special people8221; with unusual talents.

Xiao 8220;was educated, so I thought if I could dig out some potential performing skill, maybe I could help her,8221; Hu said.

He gave her CDs and DVDs featuring various performers and a trainer. Every time Xiao called home, her family asked if she had lost weight. 8220; I thought, 8216;Am I really going to use my fat figure to make a living?8217; 8220; she said.

Hu tried to find her a boyfriend. He got the largest newspaper in the city, the Nanjing Evening News, to write up every detail of Xiao8217;s misfortune and seek prospective husbands. The story in March 2006 was a big boost to Xiao8217;s confidence and drew 200 letters from interested men. It also attracted letters from more than 100 obese women. They all wanted to be friends with Xiao.

Hu and the newspaper formed a club for the women. That produced enough talented performers that Hu decided to form a band. The result was Qian Jin Zu He. The group8217;s name is a play on words. One meaning refers to a courteous expression for another person8217;s daughter or, in ancient times, a thousand pieces of gold. But no one can mistake its second meaning: 1,000 jin, a Chinese measurement that would translate to just over 1,000 pounds.

These days, the band is making more TV appearances than before, on cooking shows and alongside Olympic wrestlers. But as Qian Jin Zu He crisscrosses China, the band sometimes meets less welcoming audiences. Once, a spectator thought Xiao was wearing a fat suit and asked if he could test his theory by burning her skin with a cigarette.

8220;Only a small part of the audience understands and supports us,8221; said Shen Jing, 23 and, at 198 pounds, the lightest member of the group.

Through their performances, the group hopes to change stereotypes about the obese, said Zhang Wen, 24, who weighs 209 pounds and is from Tianjin.

8220;Our original purpose for joining the band is to help other girls like us feel more confident, feel better about themselves, and to prove our capability in front of others,8221; she said.
8211; Maureen Fan LAT-WP