Joan Collins 'dismayed by weight obsession'

Joan Collins has spoken out against the media's obsession with "excessively thin" women.

In an interview with the Sunday Express, the actress recalled her own experiences of extreme dieting in order to get work in films but insisted that life is "too short" to worry about body image.

"What dismays me is the emphasis now on women who are excessively thin, both in magazines and on TV. I think that is terrifying," she explained.

"I know a producer who, when there were two actresses up for the same role, and one was a little heavier about the hips, said, 'No, she's too fat,' even though she was much better for the part."

Collins continued: "It's impossible, if you're over 25 or 30, trying to get down to be extremely thin. I still remember the pain of slimming down for a film when I was in my 40s, when I had to subsist on a meagre 850 calories a day.

"I could still do it; a couple of boiled eggs, a tablespoon of tuna, quite a lot of lettuce and a tomato. Anyone can do it but why should they? Life is too short and food is too good."