DIET. The awful swear word that makes most of us cringe – either because we feel guilty about that chocolate we ate this morning, or because it’s reminding us of the diet we’re supposed to be following.

But would you believe there was a time when voluptuous women were the fairest in the land? In the Renaissance beauty came in a vastly plumper variety than today, judging by their paintings. Even Marilyn Monroe is rumoured to have been a size 12.

Could we be turning back to the weightier side of the spectrum today? In the last few years, many celebrities have been criticised for being too skinny – like Nicole Richie, Keira Knightly, Angelina Jolie, Lindsay Lohan and of course the queen of skinny Victoria Beckham.

Our very own model who kept Victoria’s sexy Secret, Candice Swanepoel, set tongues wagging across the globe about her drastic weight loss a while ago.

The issue came to light in our local media again recently when Kgomotso Christopher (Katlego on Isidingo and Nox on 4Play: Sex Tips for Girls) and Lele Ledwaba (Diksie on M-Net’s The Wild) had their weight called into question. Kgomotso insists she’s always been thin, despite her large appetite. “I have a fast metabolism,” she says. Lele also blames her metabolism, jokingly brushing the comments off by saying she’s on the seafood diet – everything she sees, she eats. But are they too skinny?

And does that mean we want bigger girls?

Let’s look at the other side of the spectrum. We have Highveld Stereo’s new drive time DJ Anele Mdoda – her weight has been brought up many a time, especially in her ongoing Twitter wars. Then there’s Relebogile Mabotja, whom many consider beautifully curvaceous, but she’s been criticised for being too overweight to present a show like Dance Your Butt Off.

We praise the success stories of heavier women who have shed the pounds, and want to know their weight-loss secrets. Like Bertha le Roux (Emma in 7de Laan) who carried a bit of extra weight after her maternity leave. And then she lost at least 25kg to fit into a size 32.

Karen van der Laag (Maggie on Isidingo) even had her weight issue written into the storyline of Isidingo – after being overweight, losing weight, and then gaining it again. They used her story to highlight some major weight issues.

So the question for zalebrities remains – to be fat or to be thin?

We think the answer just may be – to be “thick”. We quite like this term coined by African men who prefer a woman with some more meat on her bones. Some of the hottest young stars that have been labelled “thick” include Minnie Dlamini and Boitumelo Thulo.

So what does it mean to be thick? Well, it could very well be the perfect balance – having curves and plenty of meat on your bones while still being healthy and having a sexy figure. Let’s call it “meaty yet firm”.

Here’s to being “thick”!