Heroes actress Hayden Panettiere has criticized Hollywood for harboring prejudiced opinions about women - insisting they shouldn't be forced to slim down to be a successful star.

The 18-year-old hates the "size zero" culture that has taken over the entertainment industry, and is convinced there is a huge amount of pressure on female stars to conform to Hollywood's ideal body shape.

She says, "Beauty is an opinion, not a fact. The thing that most depresses me is Hollywood's obsession with body image. I just don't get it. The size-zero ideal is just ridiculous. The important thing is to feel comfortable with your own shape and not to look at others and feel inferior. It's tragic that girls feel they have to starve themselves to remain skinny."

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)