fat police and lawyers

Leisha and husband are in their thirties and have two children. They are pleasant people, they attend church regularly, they work hard and mind their own business and their blood boils when other people -- the fat police -- sneer at them for being overweight.

"Sure we eat convenience foods, who doesn't?" says Leisha. "But I don't believe eating lettuce leaves every day is a healthier way to live and besides which obesity is nothing new."

"People have been fat since time immemorial," laughs Leisha, "and in most other cultures -- except ours -- obesity is a sign of wealth and importance."

"I've heard of a tribe in Northern Africa that actually force feeds its little girls to ensure that they're fat enough for marriage," says Leisha. "Now, that's a place the fat police and the child abuse police should be focusing their attention on and leaving us alone."

"My grandparents and probably yours, too, nearly starved to death last century," explains Leisha, "and for a long time someone who was skinny was considered unfortunate or, in other circumstances, suffering from worms."

"I can't understand the fat police who think Marilyn Monroe -- the blonde bombsell of the 1950s -- was overweight and wouldn't be a good role model for women today."

"Hello? My husband thinks Marilyn Monroe would have been more attractive with a few more pounds and so do I," laughs Leisha. "And the sort of women the fat police are putting forward as good role models for women -- the anorexic catwalkers -- are an insult to all women and especially for little girls."

"We're told that being overweight is a health hazard," says Leisha. "Hello? What isn't a health hazard? We're all going to die and I'd rather die fat and happy than thin and miserable and nobody in their right mind believes that these people actually care about our health."

"Who are the people responsible for the fat police and the shift in our cultural values?" asks Leisha. "What changed our country from a free society to one where you can't do anything without being criticized or sued?"

"Is immigration to blame for this? Are we bringing in too many people from communist countries who grew up being dictated to and don't know the meaning of freedom?"

"I heard that in rural China they're still enforcing the One Child Policy -- aborting babies in late term pregnancies," sighs Leisha, "and if our government has employed immigrants from this sort of environment is it any wonder that our social policies have changed?"

"Actually, the One Child Policy in China has resulted in a lot of fat little kids," laughs Leisha. "So maybe I'm wrong on this point -- and Mao, himself, wasn't exactly skinny, was he?"

"I do know that the anti-fat movement grew out of the anti-smoking movement started by Professor John Banzhaf of George Washington University Law School and his ASH organization," says Leisha. "Puffed up from his success suing the tobacco companies he turned to the food industry and already has had success in eight fat law suits -- if not personally, then through the students he teaches."

"I agree that consumers need to know exactly what they're buying and that Banzhaf did good in exposing negligent and criminal behavior," says Leisha, "but why did legal action against companies have to translate into social sanctions against consumers?"

"The government has ruled that health insurance companies can charge fatties more in order to encourage us to lose weight and pay more of the medical costs of obesity," says Leisha. "Is this fair?"

"What evidence do they have that fat people cost more in medical costs than thin people -- or old people or any other type of person?" cries Leisha. "And what right does the government have to encourage us to lose weight? That's not the business of government!"

"We're happy and healthy at the weight we're at and nobody is going to tell us to lose weight," says Leisha. "And if any fat person is ever denied medical help on account of not being thin then there's going to be a revolution like you've never seen before."

"We're told that fast food is addictive in the same way that drugs are," says Leisha. "Well, hello, tell me what isn't addictive? Sex, the internet, computer games, gambling, even sport -- one of our neighbors is so hooked on the gym that she goes crazy if she misses a day -- and if addiction is the foundation of these fat laws suits then what is going to be next?"

"In order to save their own skins from laws suits the food companies -- like the tobacco companies -- have issued warnings to consumers about eating too much," says Leisha, "but in doing this they're blaming us for being fat -- making us social pariahs -- and it won't be long before every Big Mac carries a graphic warning about possible diseases we can contract from eating their product."

"Sure, I take personal responsibility for being fat," says Leisha, "but why do the lawyers, the government and the food companies have to make out that being fat is a some sort of social failing for which I should be penalized and turned into a social pariah by the fat police?"

"My husband and I are scared that our children may be encouraged by the fat police to sue us for negligence or child abuse one day," sighs Leisha. "They're not yet old enough to understand the legalities of it all, but they are definitely old enough to be hurt by fat taunts."

"Who is to say that being overweight is purely a food issue?" asks Leisha. "Don't genes play a part in it all? How come some people can eat like horses, without exercising, and never gain weight?"

"As far as I'm concerned, these law suits are all about money -- greedy people wanting to use whatever they can to bring a case against multi-million dollar industries, and greedy lawyers only too happy to help them do it," sighs Leisha. "And we mustn't forget the gullible public at large -- the fat police -- who have been told that obesity costs the country billions of their hard earned tax dollars each year."

"Take money out of the equation and nobody would care less."

"As Banzhaf said: 'we already agree that smokers should pay more for life insurance; those who live in older wooden homes should pay more for fire insurance; and those who drive expensive cars should pay more for automobile insurance'," relates Leisha. "Doesn't that tell you what it's really all about?"