Sad fact of life

The death of Brittany Murphy from a heart attack at the age of 32 is a sobering thought to us all and a sad loss to millions of fans around the world.

For most of us the assumption is that massive coronaries only happen to people in their later years and, while we've all heard of the friend of a friend of a friend who had a heart attack at an early age, it never really hits home until it happens to someone we can relate to.

While the usual suspect in a celebrity death this young is most often some sort of drug abuse, the rumour mill surrounding Brittany is that her recent drastic weight loss might have played a large part in her demise with the editor of one prominent celebrity weekly saying: "She looked terrible (in pictures of an event held in early December). So thin. We all noticed and commented on it."

Another source, that had been in contact with the actress in recent days, said: "She looked painfully thin, even sick. She looked like she hadn't eaten in who knows how long. Her skin was terrible."

And, if the rumours are true, it's an even bigger tragedy than drug abuse, but no less surprising.

It's bad enough for most women out there who look at magazines and feel inadequate in the face of all the skinny beauties that adorn the pages, but to actually be a part of an industry that considers anything more than super-thin to be unacceptable, it must put a tremendous amount of pressure on any actress trying to keep her star shining in Tinseltown.

And, if her weight loss is the reason behind her sad death at such a young age, then it's a good lesson to be learnt by so many young girls out there who struggle day after day to try and look like the stars they see on the silver screen.

If that's not enough to make you think twice, then try this: recent research has shown that people who carry a small amount of extra weight live longer than those who are slim or largely overweight.

I always knew there was more to my cuddly figure than just a love for food! That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!