Beauties in the ancient kingdom of Ch'u had wasp waists, while a Rubenesque plumpness was preferred during the Tang dynasty. When narrow waists were de rigueur some women starved themselves to death to stay thin, and when fat was fashionable there was no such thing as a diet.
楚王時的細腰、漢武時的燕瘦、明皇時的環肥、以至現在凸凹有致的高朓健美，代有「材」人，各領風騷。流行細腰的時候，有女子因節食勒腰而亡；流行胖的時候，沒有「減肥」這回事。