The Jack Spratts

"Jack Spratt could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean; between them both, they licked the platter clean." This nursery rhyme so well known, isn't far from the truth. Men are not quite as prone to fatness as women, or so we are told. It's hormonal they say. Let's face it, men can hide a lot of their bellies behind those nice sport jackets that hang straight down to their always slimmer-than-women's-hips. The fat guys that I know, sport a belt that lurks under the overhang, shall we call it, said a necessity to hold up their pants. Women carrying fat, "pook" out around the hips making the extra bulk difficult to hide. Also, women's clothing is usually geared to point out a  waist that men call their "wealth". The shes of the world deal with their extra poundage using loose, filmy upper garments that work much the same way  men's jackets do for them. This whole fat versus thin matter that dominates the let's-be-Hollywood, has taken an ugly turn. A new operation in vogue apparently, is one that staples the poor stomach so that only small amounts of food can be consumed. Talk about your plastic surgery and botox! And is being thin worth taking a chance on your health, your very life? Gyms are full of sweating folk running on treadmills. Move over hamsters. There are food planners that deliver to the door, greenery with bits of protein all designed to force you to eat less. These salespersons tell you that their foods are not only fresh, they are going to help you lose all those ugly pounds. Other plans that I have heard of, cost a bundle but you are guaranteed to lose weight. The latter includes regular visits to a "counselor" who not only weighs you in with accolades if you lost, but also shoots you up with extra powerful vitamins. I have yet to see anyone that I know, keep all the lost weight off after the euphoric thinner period. Then there are the I-am-fat-but-I-love-myself folks who believe they can enjoy both sweets and sweethearts at the same time. There are new fat models with very pretty faces and gorgeous hair, who tell you, being an extra huge size is just fine, thank you very much, just look at me. Well, no. Most of us carry more weight than we ought to, according to some lists made up by skinny doctors, that never take us normal sorts seriously. The bottom line whether we like it or not, is that it is not healthy to be too fat. I am talking obese. But hey, if you are obese, go easy on yourself. The world is not obsessed about your weight. It likes you for you. The weight thing is your problem if you perceive it so. It's your rightful choice. When I meet someone, I am more interested in what lies between their ears and what words come out of their mouths, than their girth. I worry a whole lot about the people that are too thin. To me that is much scarier than being too fat. Neither is a good thing, but fixing over weight-ness is a lot easier than the opposite. The anorexics I have known look dreadful and frightening. There is nothing at all attractive about someone who looks like a tree in winter. Sure, Hollywood wants skinny. It looks better on camera. Of course, models have to be bone- thin. It's their career to be a wire coat hanger. But you and I shouldn't emulate these people. We like our cookies at times and the ice cream and the cheese cake. We also love the salads and the meat or tofu. We groan  when we go shopping for clothes. but hey, dieting  makes for eternal lunching-out conversation. Bring on the lettuce, I'll eat the Nanaimo bars alone at home.