Slog - Comments on How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Obesity Epidemic

Comment by Ziggity

Ziggity — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:46:01 -0800

Mmm...fried bread.

Comment by Michigan Matt

Michigan Matt — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:50:40 -0800

My thoughts exactly, Ziggity. I just enjoyed some fried bread the other day. . .

Comment by INORIGHT

INORIGHT — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:57:24 -0800

An 18-20 and Marks & Sparks is British sized, meaning she is a 14-16 American....not that she be allowing herself a bacon buttie at that size either.

Comment by apres_moi

apres_moi — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:05:28 -0800

how much toilet paper does she need to wipe her butt everyday? lol

Comment by UNPAID BLOGGER

UNPAID BLOGGER — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:07:03 -0800

The twinks would be DOOMED- Good luck doing that with a skimpy pair of Ginch Gonch.

Comment by doctiloquus

doctiloquus — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:15:19 -0800

Being fat has scores of unexpected positive upsides. Here's another example. A fatty former teacher of mine once got into a scuffle at a bar. His opponent drew a knife and stabbed him in the stomach! But because he was fat, and because the blade was rather modest in length, he avoided major injury.

A thinner man would have been eviscerated.

Comment by Suz

Suz — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:22:19 -0800

Hey Dan, love the shit out of you, but I get so tired of the constant fat bashing. How about instead of bashing, you post innovative solutions to the problem. Obviously since this is an EPIDEMIC the simple answer of "eat less, exercise more" ain't cutting it. Perhaps being more positive about what people can do to be heathier rather than fucking with them like this might be more useful.

Comment by jhfgkja

jhfgkja — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:29:23 -0800

Aw, those fatties : )

Comment by Big Sven

Big Sven — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:40:35 -0800

So I'll take up Suz's challenge, and mention something positive.

I'm in the process of reading "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes. It just came out in 2007, and is a review of the state of nutrition science.

It turns out that what scientific research says about fat, carbohydrates, fiber, heart disease, and obesity are totally at odds with the government sponsored "food pyramid".

For example: fiber has been proven to do *nothing* for you except cure constipation- no effects on cancer, heart disease, obesity, etc, etc. It looks like those Atkins/Paleolithic/South Beach diets actually do work by keeping blood sugar levels stable so that carbs aren't immediately turned into fatty tissue. But do we ever hear this? Nope. Because physicians look to the AMA and the ACS, and those groups still stick with the low-fat/low-cholesterol/high-fiber advice that was developed in the 60s (before that, starches and sugars were considered the road to obesity) and blindly deny all the clear results from the Framingham and nurses' studies that have disproved the earlier models.

But enough speachifying. I switched to a low (but not crazy low) carb diet before the holidays, and lost five pounds in two weeks without lowering my overall caloric intake (since I was being wined and dined by family and friends) after being stuck for the last two months.

Good luck in 2008!

Comment by Jubilation T. Cornball

Jubilation T. Cornball — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:45:55 -0800

Love this post!

I go to London a couple times a year, and if there's ONE THING I bring back every time, it's several packs of M&S underwear. They are indestructible and super soft.

Your publisher may like to know -- if he did not already -- that in the UK, the slang for underwear is "kecks." :-)

Comment by Sargon Bighorn

Sargon Bighorn — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:02:02 -0800

As I've stated in the past, why is it I never see "fat" people on the streets of Bombay, Calcutta, or other cities in India? I think they are humans too with the same genetic code. But they sure do EAT differently from most Americans. Urban South African Black women are now dealing with weight issues due to EATING crap, not the good veggies they used to eat down on the farm, where they were slim from working their bodies hard as well. My point? I don't want to hear your whining about your weight when you know dam well you're shoving crap into your mouth every day. Eat like an Indian for 12 months and I guaran-dam-tee you those pounds will drop away.

Comment by keshmeshi

keshmeshi — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:04:22 -0800

@11,

Because they're near starvation most of the time. It's basic human instinct to eat when food is available and to eat food that's high in fat and sugar.

What is it about the existence of fat people that angers you so? Worried that there won't be enough skinny people around for you to fuck?

Comment by subwlf

subwlf — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:11:57 -0800

Aaah... Addictions. Just read an article where binging is akin to drug addiction when viewing the brain response/drive.
Tell those fat/crack addicts to put the fork/spoon down and walk away. Respectively.
http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news/Is-Binge-Eating-Addictive-3F-14692-1/
Facetiously yours...

Comment by mj

mj — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:15:10 -0800

The kinkier story is darling and it sounds like she is having a good laugh about it too.

I love it when people can laugh at themselves and have fun. It's kind of like giving all those people who would DARE complain about how you look the finger.

Comment by J.R.

J.R. — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:44:11 -0800

@11: "Eat like an Indian for 12 months and I guaran-dam-tee you those pounds will drop away."

Damn, that was a great line...

Comment by mj

mj — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:59:28 -0800

I meant to say the knicker story!!!
I have no idea what the kinkier story is... That cracks me up!

Comment by isabelita

isabelita — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:34:13 -0800

Obese people are "famine resistant." They will survive when the nukes rain down upon us.

Comment by Knickers? I hardly knew her!

Knickers? I hardly knew her! — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:56:37 -0800

Interesting point - size 18-20 in the UK is like a size 14-16 (not to be confused with size 12-14, which is the American plus size equivalent and too small to be found in most plus sized stores) in the US -- that is to say, Large in Victoria's Secret sizes. Many people fitting this size, depending on height, may just be "overweight" and not clinically obese, and not morbidly obese unless they were really, really short.

Comment by Hal

Hal — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:19:30 -0800

I just heard a story on NPR, about how the obesity epidemic is spreading throughout the African continent.

Can it only be a matter of time for India?

Comment by Kristin Bell

Kristin Bell — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 23:49:00 -0800

Apparently Dan has an obsession with fat people. Maybe he's super afraid he'll magically turn into one one day or something. He obviously can't just accept fat people for who they/we are. Says more about him and others like him than it does about fat people.

Comment by Mr. Poe

Mr. Poe — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 23:50:57 -0800

Can I haz 2many cheezburglerz?!

Comment by Queen of Sleaze

Queen of Sleaze — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:43:43 -0800

Oh my god, who the fuck FRIES bread? Way to go Fatty McFatface, you deserved to burn your house down. Thats just fucking gross.