I'm too thin, says SA's sexiest
2007-11-25 19:57
Cape Town - The country's sexiest woman has admitted frankly that she's now too thin.
Tanya van Graan says: "I don't deliberately try to look like this. My life has just been terribly hectic recently."
The actress and model was named the sexiest South African woman by FHM magazine in May.
Tanya says photos of her that appeared in Heat magazine had tongues wagging about how incredibly thin she is.
"I know I'm a role model for many people, especially young girls, which is why it's important for me to set a good example for others.
"There are so many people that follow me and look up to me. As a role model, it's good for me to be able to say it isn't right to be so thin."
'Not a drug addict'
Tanya says she realises people are concerned about her, but they don't always understand what is going on in other people's personal lives.
"I'm not trying to be funny and I'm definitely not a drug addict. When people go through difficult times, every individual handles it differently.
"Some put on weight, others lose weight - in my case, the kilograms drop off.
"I have a stressful lifestyle and it's important for me to take more time out now. It's been two years since I was last on holiday.
"There's always been just another project or something else that has to be done."
Tanya says she was flying to-and-fro between Cape Town and Johannesburg for eight weeks recently while working on a movie.
Then there were also all the photo sessions and other occasions in between where she had to give it her all.
"I came into the industry very quickly, and that is definitely a shock to one's system.
"The public don't always understand the huge pressure that people in the entertainment industry are under. And, many times, they form judgments based on what they see in a photograph.
Wants to focus on herself now
"Take Angelina Jolie, for example. At some stage, she probably was the most beautiful woman in the world, but she went through an unbelievably bad time in her life. Just look at how much weight she's lost!"
Tanya did not want to give her weight.
"There are things like bone structure and other factors that have to be considered. It's too easy for people to look only at a number on a scale," she said.
"I generally eat healthily, but I want to focus more on myself now. It's important to have a balance in one's life."