Weighty Matchmaking

Overweightshaadi.com provides a much wanted matrimonial service

Getting married is never easy. And if you are one of those whose profile gets passed by on matrimonial sites just because you are overweight, that just could turn into a hellish experience. But Gurgaon-based sisters Aditi Gupta and Megha Singhal are trying to beat the Devil at his own game with their online endeavour to help overweight people find love and happy matrimony.

The sisters started overweightshaadi.com in 2008 after they saw the plight of a fat cousin. “All our relatives were after her to lose weight. And she was a bit surprised, because she was happy with how she looked. And she was of the opinion that if someone would only marry her if she were thin, well she didn’t want to marry such a guy. Eventually, she had an arranged marriage where the boy was much thinner. But her personality won the day. That’s when we realised we should start something like this,” explains Aditi, who now runs the site by herself. The website has 4,000 active members and gets anywhere from 100 to 200 hits a day.

What sets it apart from other matrimonial sites could be the strict policing that the sisters put in place. There is a screening process for everyone who registers on the site. “I delete a profile if I even get one indicator that the person is not serious or is here for casual dating. This could include an inappropriate picture or comment. We don’t allow 18-year-olds looking for a date or pranksters on the site, as this is a serious business,” says Aditi.

She adds that most people who register with them do so because they face problems on normal matrimonial sites as their profiles often get ignored. “With us, whoever registers does so knowing that they are looking through profiles of overweight people. So they are mentally prepared for everything.”

Aditi also shares a surprising, but endearing nugget. “Thin people also sign up. These are people who know that there is much more to a marriage than just physical appearance. They know that even if the person is overweight, s/he may be the perfect person for them.”

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