david f writes, on the 'Your tribal past ...' thread in his post of Tuesday, 15 September 2009 11:30:18 AM:

"The calibre of a person can depend on weight. e.g. If you were hiring a person to be fired from a cannon it would be important to get a person of the right calibre."

It would also be important to fire him into the correct thread, david f.

But enough of my diatribe. That was too good an observation to just let go to waste in either tribal space or cyberspace. Consider yourself cannonised, O Two Dogs of the land of perpetual autumn.

I guess women don't wear those things any more. However, long ago when I was a teenager I heard of a teenage girl who said, "Mother, I'm afraid to wear your girdle. I don't have the guts."

Thank you, Forrest, for directing my fire. Thank you, Foxy, for this new thread. You've gone from "Your tribal past" to "Your tribal pasta."

One could also ask, "How much of weight is matter?" We would have the same amount of matter if we were transported to the moon but one-sixth of the weight.

Dear David f,

You've made me laugh out loud.

"Tribal past - to - tribal pasta!"
Love it - brilliant!

To Everyone,

It's interesting that until a few decades ago,
people who deviated from the ideal physical
form by being overweight were held to simply
have a personal problem of eating too much or
exercising too little. Now we give people
labels.

Physicians have succeeded in
defining obesity as a disease, to be cured by
such means as scientific diets, psychotheraphy,
or even surgery. It's a bit of a worry - when
medicine extends its influence as an agent of
social control, with psychiatrists defining
the approved norms, labelling those who
deviate from them, and trying to ensure that the
deviants conform once more. The media of course
has a big influence on the acceptable shape
we're all supposed to be in. And whether we
like it or not - we are influenced by what's
considered acceptable. Look at programmes like
"Biggest Loser." Pick up any fashion magazine
and you won't see fat people. Little girls are
worried about their dress size. The focus on
weight - seems to be all around us. Chemists
promote dietary programmes, Jenny Craig is making
a fortune, as are the organisations that provide
"slim eating," meals to your door. Doctors prescribe
diet pills and injections...
It seems that weight does matter.

Foxy

People in developed countries are more over weight than at any time in history, have access to (as you said) dietary aids, pills, potions and at the extreme end, surgery. Yet more people are developing diabetes as a result of their excess flab and there is no excuse, none.

Australia produces fabulous food, we have farmers' market on weekends, in Melbourne some of the most superb produce markets - my only regret in moving into the ranges was the great distance from the magnificent Queen Victoria Market, but there are compensations I am close to growers of chestnuts, berries, cherries and many small farms specialising in free-range, chemical free meat.

When I do have to go to the supermarket, I never cease to be amazed at the crap people are buying, trolleys heaped with frozen prepared food, ice-cream, frozen pastries and the inevitable diet soft-drinks - like that's going to make a difference.

On my last flight back to Australia (economy class as usual) I was at the very back, squashed between 2 large men - who, I have to say, tried very hard not to crowd me, however the trans-Pacific flight is long and by the time I reached Sydney, I was probably on the verge of a variety of psychotic episode that has yet to be named by the shrinks.

And then there's all that sweating and B.O. (no I am not describing my love-life) - for the overweight there is all that chafing and other nasty skin conditions that result from humidity and rolls of fat.

Well, that's enough of a rant about too much weight, just a comment about the other side of body image.

I was naturally skinny throughout my childhood, teens and twenties I WAS NOT ANOREXIC, NOR PHYSICALLY FEEBLE so next time some of you stand in judgement of a skinny girl, she's probably quite normal and eats like a grizzly bear at the end of winter. I did. And even now I get very cranky if I don't have breakfast.

Isn’t it quite recent Foxy – the weight thing, Coco Chanel and all that. Twiggy. Then at the same time along came really really fattening foods, fast food.

My doctor while being mean to me in Polish said that it is simple (but you know, freaky accent) “you must eat exactly the same every day as a five year old child”. Luckily I know exactly what a five year old eats.

To speed it up I am eating what a 3 year old eats. If I get more impatient I’ll be on 6 bottles of formula a day.

Gym is out, can’t even walk fast with the midgets in tow. At least I lift weights all day, damn shame they dribble on me.

Years ago I wasn’t paying much attention to myself and I knew I had lost weight cause baggy clothes and stuff but was just busy, I jump in the shower one morning (there was a big mirror in it) and saw all ribs poking out and bones and – I really hated it, made me feel yuck. Now I’m dieting I can’t remember what the problem was. And I think I am aiming for about the same look as well.

Hey sorry, question... if I post too much in general in 24 hours will it take away a chance to post in articles? Oh and Fractelle, yeah heaps of errors the last two days

Being overweight is being a strain on the medical system along with the added costs that go hand in hand with all sorts of sideline ailments.
You can have a weight that makes you feel comfortable, but there is a limit. I think the overweight problem we have will make the stimulus package look like peanuts in the long term. Talk about kids inheratence.