UK Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has speculated that some 2 billion people will tune into the royal wedding tomorrow, and while that is a figure that some scoff at, the fact is this: An enormous number of eyes will be trained on Kate Middleton tomorrow.

The pressure, no doubt, is extreme.

But how much is too much? And is it taking a toll on Middleton’s health any more than it does the average bride?

One of the first places people are looking towards for clues is Middleton’s weight.

Much has been made of the princess-to-be’s whippet-thin frame, with some reports suggesting that at an estimated 5 feet, 10 inches and 120 pounds, she has a current body-mass index or BMI that makes her underweight. (Many experts, though, do question the accuracy of a BMI measurement for health.)

Regardless of how her weight is measured, Middleton is noticeably thinner than she has been in the past. And in this, at least, she is not alone.

The Boston Globe reports that a 2009 study found that 84 percent of brides were hoping to get in better shape. Given the Center For Disease Control (CDC)’s estimate there are 2 million weddings per year, The Globe speculates that there are 1.7 million brides trying to shed pounds before the big day.

Harvard Health Publications reports that in a recent survey of 272 brides in the journal Appetite, some 70 percent indicated they wanted to lose around 20 pounds before their big day. With six months to go before their weddings, these brides had lost an average of eight pounds using “reasonable” methods, such as exercise, eating less and consuming fewer calories. But a quarter of them, the post reports, resorted to extreme behaviors like skipping meals, smoking or taking pills.

Harvard Health Publications also points out that acute stress has been known to decrease appetite, which could be contributing to Middleton’s weight loss — and that of other brides…