2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Day 4: Down to 213

The shrinkage continued on Day 4 of my 180 Reduction. I suspect that a large percentage of this drop overnight is water weight loss.

Retaining water when fat cell disappear and then going through a cycle of quickly losing that water is part of the ongoing cycle of losing weight.

Been there, done that.

We will see if I can get through this New Year's Eve without finding myself in a situation where I am tempted to consume items which will temporarily stall my reduction.

I am not all that good at resisting temptation.

This morning I made turkey soup with a lot of different vegetables for lunch later today. Breakfast was half a grapefruit, glass of skim milk, a stalk of celery and a big chunk of turkey. Prior to breakfast I did a yoga/weight lifting routine. I'll be going hiking before lunch.

And who knows what trouble I'll be getting myself into tonight.

Happy New Year!

2011's Top Ten New Year's Resolutions

Apparently making a New Year's Resolution is a world-wide phenomenon.

Which makes sense.

New Year. New Beginning. Good time to try and start changing something that you don't like or improve something that needs improving or go in a direction you feel you need to be going.

For me, before looking at the list of 10, I had only one New Year's Resolution. Looking at a compilation  of people's Top Ten New Year's Resolutions I can see one or two that I might be wise to adopt.

But, I won't.adopt more than one more, In addition to my one and only New Year's Resolution. That being to get back under 200 pounds, all the way to 180.

And stay there.

Looking at various lists of New Year's Resolutions, below is what I have gleaned is the Top Ten. And before I list them, might I add, I am surprised Losing Weight is not Number One. However, that subject is pretty much numbers 2 and 3.

Top Ten New Year's Resolutions

1. Spend More Time with Family and Friends
2. Get Fit
3. Lose Weight
4. Quit Smoking
5. Get More Enjoyment Out of Life
6. Quit Drinking
7. Get Out of Debt
8. Learn Something New
9. Volunteer
10. Get Organized

Well. Of the Top Ten, #1 should be at the top of my list. A week from today it will be 2 years since I've seen my mom and dad. I am going to try to get to Phoenix soon. I always am saying that, but I will make more of an effort to make that happen.

I am already fit. But I have put on a few pounds. So, #3 pertains to me. I do not need to quit smoking. I pretty much already get a lot of enjoyment out of life. I don't need to quit drinking. I don't need to get out of debt, too much. I'm always learning something new, but don't always like doing so. I sort of volunteer to help people, in that if I see something wrong, I do what I can to make it right.

And I am very organized.

So, there you have it, of the Top Ten New Year's Resolutions I am going to be working on #1 & #3.

How about you?

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Day 3: Down to 215

On Day 3 of my trek to 180 pounds the scale appears to show continued southward movement. The needle looks to be stopping on 215. Down from my record breaking high of 217.

Only 35 pounds to go. At the current rate of reduction, which likely can not be sustained, I would achieve the 35 pound reduction in 35 days, which would have me in the 180 zone by the time I watch the Super Bowl in Arlington.

I have annoyed people in the past with how quickly I can lose weight. Or gain it.

It is a function of ones underlying metabolism. I'm a fairly muscular guy, hence I have a big engine that can burn a lot of calories. And I am fairly active, thus using my big engine to burn a lot of calories. To lose weight all I have to do is cut back on what goes in my mouth and the pounds come off.

It really isn't rocket science.

This morning breakfast was an orange, a glass of skim milk, 2 stalks of celery and a big chunk of turkey. Before breakfast I had a little weight workout. Lunch will be a big bowl of chili. Before lunch I will go jogging. I do not eat dinner, usually. My evening feeding is usually something like a bowl of air-popped popcorn, with cheese. Cut out the cheese and instead spray the popcorn with non-fat butter spray and sprinkle it with salt and garlic powder and I've reduced the calories from the cheesy norm.

So, there you have it. The starvation diet that I am not starving on. But has me losing, currently, a pound a day. Which, I know, nutritional experts say is not healthy. But I say, if it works and I feel good and full of energy, it is perfectly healthy.

See you tomorrow. When I may, or may not weigh 214. Or less.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Day 2

I am 24 hours into my 2011 New Year's Resolution to once more get under 200 pounds.

Well under 200 pounds.

I have decided my goal is 180.

This morning the scale shows slight movement southward, down to around 216 from yesterday's 217.

I went jogging yesterday, on my first day of this new regimen, for the first time in a long time. I jogged about 2 miles. I was surprised by how well the jogging went.

Last night I blogged about the infamous Donna Simpson, she being the woman who wants to be the fattest woman in the world, who ate, what she hopes, was the world's biggest Christmas dinner, a few days ago. Donna Simpson is already in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the fattest woman to ever give birth.

Donna Simpson ate somewhere near a 100 pounds of food for Christmas. That would be at least a temporary 100 pound weight gain.

I had a half pound of sirloin steak for Christmas. And the 15 pound turkey I cooked  few days ago, still has a few pounds waiting to be eaten.

I estimate I have cut back my caloric intake by at least half. If past experience is any indicator, in a few days I should see a quick weight drop, then hit a plateau, then another drop, then repeat that cycle over and over again til I get to 180.

Apparently I have a knack for putting on weight. And a knack for quickly taking it off. I have heard from others, like yesterday from MLK, that others are not so blessed.

Donna Simpson Eats The World's Biggest Christmas Dinner

I have blogged about Donna Simpson previously. Donna is a New Jersey woman who's goal in life is to become the fattest woman in the world.

Donna is already in the Guinness Book of Records for being the fattest woman to ever give birth. A feat so complicated it took a team of 30 doctors to deliver baby Jacqueline. Jacqueline is now 3. Her brother, Devin, is 14.

I was wondering why, ever since Christmas, my previous blogging about Donna Simpson has been getting a lot of hits.

Today I found out the reason for the blog hits. People are curious about Donna Simpson's Christmas Dinner.

Because Donna Simpson went for another Guinness Record on December 25, eating the world's biggest Christmas dinner, chowing down on two 25 pound turkeys, two 15 pound maple-glazed hams, 10 pounds of roasted potatoes, along with 5 pounds mashed, four pints of gravy to cover all those spuds, five loaves of bread, five pounds of herbed stuffing, four pints of cranberries, five pounds of carrots, five pounds of butternut squash and five pounds of corn.

All topped off with a dessert of a marshmallow, cream cheese, whipped cream, cookie salad.

It took Donna Simpson two hours to chow down her Christmas Dinner, while sitting on her special, steel-reinforced feeding chair.

Donna is only 5' 2". At last weigh-in Donna was at 602 pounds, 398 shy of her 1,000 pound goal.

When she was 24 Donna married Robert Simpson, who worked in a restaurant. Donna says, "he liked me super-sized," so he brought restaurant leftovers home from work. A lot of leftovers. The couple had a kid, Devin, and then divorced.

In 2006 Donna was in an online chat room where she met Phillipe Gouamba, who says, "Donna is my fantasy. I've always been attracted to big women. The more she weighs, the sexier she is." Donna and Phillipe plan to get married on Maui. How in the world they think they are going to get to Maui, I have no idea.

Gouamba supports Donna's goal to get to 1,000 pounds, saying, "Gaining weight makes Donna happy and seeing her happy makes me happy."

To buy the food to help Donna reach her goal costs in the range of $582 to $750 a week. On average Donna eats around 12,000 calories a day. Donna has been quoted as saying, "In a typical day I’ll eat four burgers and fries, a loaf of bread with peanut butter and jam, four servings of meatloaf and mashed potatoes, a large pizza, a chocolate cake with ice cream and cream, 12 cupcakes, two cheesecakes and fizzy drinks."

Her favorite food is sushi. A good diet choice. Low in calories. But, Donna will eat around 70 pieces of sushi in one feeding.

Currently Donna is being a bit frustrated at the slow pace of her weight gain towards her 1,000 pound goal. So, she has cut back on calorie burning movement. Using motorized movement devices whenever possible.

Supposedly Donna's Christmas Dinner added up to around 30,000 calories. Reading that list of food and the amount consumed, 30,000 seems like a low accounting to me. And how is anyone able to eat two 25 pound turkeys and two 15 pound hams in 2 hours? Let alone all that other stuff.

This event should have been televised live on Christmas.

Join Me On My New Year's Resolution To Lose Weight

I was shocked this morning to get on the scale to see the scale telling me I weigh 217 pounds.

I do not know what I have changed in my eating and exercise routines that has caused me to balloon up to 217.

The last time I weighed this much was in February of 2004. I'd spent 2 weeks in Washington, with most of that time spent in a Chocolate Warehouse in Tacoma, putting chocolate products on Amazon.

And in my mouth.

And, apparently putting on weight. On the way back to Texas I had a 10 hour layover in Phoenix, where I was taken to an Applebee's Happy Hour where much food was consumed and then to an In N' Out Burger where more food was consumed. By the time I got back on the plane I was a bloated mess.

When I got back to Texas, the next morning, I got on the scale to learn I weighed 217. I flew up to Washington 2 more times that year. Each time I'd come back to Texas fatter. I flew up again in late September of 2005. I don't remember how much I weighed then. I do remember when I flew up to Washington in April of 2006 I weighed around 2005.

That April of 2006 visit to Washington was stressful. I got back to Texas and amped up my exercise routine. I started to quickly lose weight.

By the next time I flew up to Washington, on July 20, 2008, I weighed, at my lowest, 168.5. I was skinny. This made flying the most comfortable ever.

I remember New Year's Day of 2009 being the first in a long time where I did not find myself resolving to get under 200 pounds, because I was already well under 200 pounds. Same with New Year's Day of 2010. I was under 200 pounds, I think in the 185 range, if I remember right.

And now, today, with 4 days to go til New Year's Day of 2011, I am back finding myself on the north side of 200 pounds. Resolving once more to get well under 200.

What is vexing about this current weight gain is I'm not seeing it. Too much. The main thing I can see clearly is my gut zone has expanded. When I weighed 170 something my waist could get down to 28.5 inches if I sucked it in hard.

Let me go see how far I can suck my gut in now....I'll be right back....Yikes! 37 inches! This is appalling.

So, from today until I get back in the low 180s zone, my DurangObesity blog is going to track my own battle with my own personal case of minor morbid obesity.

Anyone who wants to can tag along to your own weight goal, commenting on this blog, each day, about your progress.

I may go on the Atkin's Diet. That has worked well for me before. But Atkins is not how I got down to 168.5. That happened while eating very nutritionally, but in small amounts, plus an awful lot of bike riding.

And so it begins, something I had promised myself I'd never do again, because I had told myself I would never let myself put on weight again. But, today I begin the reversal process.

Turkey soup with a lot of vegetables in the soup is already made. I may add jogging to my regular routine.

Check it tomorrow to see how much weight I've lost.....if any.

Santa Claus Needs To Lose Weight To Set A Good Example For Children

I think during our current era, with its epidemic of childhood morbid obesity, that Santa Claus should set a good example for all the boys and girls who look up to him by going on a diet and slimming down.

With something like 30%, or more, of American kids overweight we really don't need a jolly fat man giving kids candy canes.

Santa Claus should pass out carrot sticks instead of candy canes.

Each year it seems like more Santa's get stuck in chimneys than the year before.


A slimmed down Santa would have a lot easier time going down and back up chimneys.

A slimmed down Santa would make the reindeer's job a lot easier, too. Hauling all that extra Santa weight burns a lot of reindeer calories. And likely contributes to early reindeer burnout.

Maintaining all that Santa weight takes a lot of food. Food that might feed a hungry kid or two.

A down-sized Santa Claus would save money on his Santa outfits, too, due to a Slim Santa outfit requiring far less material.

In conclusion, Santa, please eat less and resist all those cookies kids leave out for you.

William Howard Taft: America's First & Only Obese President

William Howard Taft, the 27th President, serving from March 4, 1909 til March 4, 1913, was America's first President to break the Obesity Barrier, winning election to the highest office in the land.

Taft was a very slow moving man, taking over from the man who may have been America's most energetic, most fit President, Theodore Roosevelt.

On his Inauguration Day, March 4, 1909, Taft got himself stuck in the White House bathtub. It took 4 men to get Taft unstuck. After this incident Taft had a new bathtub installed, a big one, 7 feet long and 3 1/2 feet wide.

William Howard Taft was 6 feet 2 inches tall. His weight fluctuated between 300 and 330 pounds, give or take a pound or two.

Once in awhile Taft would become a bit mortified at his obesity and go on a rigid diet for a few months. In 1905, when he reached 314 pounds for the first time, Taft went on a diet that shrunk him to 255. For a short time.

While he was President Taft suffered from what we now know as Sleep Apnea, caused by his obesity. Within a year of leaving the White House Taft lost around 80 pounds, which greatly improved his Sleep Apnea and greatly lowered his systolic blood pressure and likely extended his life.

Taft suffered insults about his weight all his life. While at Yale, Taft was in the Beta Chapter of the Psi Upsilon Fraternity where he was given the nickname "Big Lub."

In 1901 President William McKinley appointed Taft to be Governor General of the Philippines, a post he continued to occupy after Teddy Roosevelt became President, following the assassination of McKinley. At one point Taft sent a telegram to Washington, D.C. which said, "went on a horse ride today; feeling good." To which Secretary of War Elihu Root famously replied, "How's the horse?"

That is not the future President Taft on his horse in the Philippines in the picture. That is future President Taft in the Philippines riding his Water Buffalo.

It just occurred to me that if America's Presidential elections were determined by the popular vote, with no Electoral College, then Al Gore would have become President in 2001, not George W. Bush.

With the likely result that William Howard Taft would no longer be the only Obese person to have served as President.

Mixed Messages About Childhood Obesity & Eating At McDonald's

Did the billboard installers not catch the irony in the above pair of billboards?

With the billboard on top admonishing that one should not take Childhood Obesity lightly and to eat fruits & vegetables and be active. And saying that Food Stamps can help. Including a phone number to call to see if you qualify for Food Stamps.

And then below the Childhood Obesity billboard, a McDonald's billboard, touting McDonald's Dollar Menu, with a young lady on a McDonald's Shopping Spree, holding 2 bags, likely full of Dollar Menu items like the McDouble, Bacon Cheeseburger, Hash Browns, Fries, McChicken Sandwich, Sausage Burrito, Sausage McMuffin, Apple Pies and Hot Fudge Sundaes. She likely does not have the Dollar Menu Fruit n/ Yogurt Parfait or Side Salad in her McDonald's bags.

I don't know about you, but all those McDonald's Dollar Menu items made me a bit hungry for a Bacon Cheeseburger, a McChicken Sandwich and Fries. No wonder I must fight constantly trending towards the onslaught of obesity....

Taking the Dress Off a Morbidly Obese Woman to See What Lurks Hidden Underneath the Shield

I have heard it wondered about, by the morbidly curious, what a morbidly obese body looks like that causes the shapes that appear when sheathed in clothing.

Well, this information is not all that hard to find in the Age of Google. But it is not for the faint-hearted or weak of stomach. I do not recommend Googling for these type visuals. I feel like I have been morbidly scarred due to doing so. But, I felt compelled to gain this information as part of my obesity education.

I have heard speculation as to what the morbidly obese see when seeing themselves reflected in a mirror. Is it like the distorted self image of ones body image in the same manner as an anorexic? In other words the morbidly obese person does not see what we see?

In the photo example above of what the clothes are covering, it is quite a revelation as to what it is that makes the big bulges.

How does one look in a mirror and see that and then stick that day's quota of donuts and cookies in ones mouth?

I think as much money should  be put into researching the answer to that question as to what is being spent researching a cure for cancer. Both cancer and morbid obesity are deadly diseases. With morbid obesity, by far, the more visible of the diseases. Nary a day can go by when we don't see at least one American suffering from morbid obesity.

FDA Approved Fat Reduction Using Zerona Laser Method & Zeltiq Freezing Method

I have not completely decided as to which of the new FDA approved fat removal methods to use, the Zerona laser method or the Zeltiq freezing method.

Zerona makes use of a laser to zap fat cells, shrinking them, after which your body removes the remains of the fat cell via excretion and absorption.

With Zeltiq, the machine cools the fat cells, with no skin damage, with the cooled fat cells also eliminated, by your body, via excretion and absorption.

Zerona was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in August. That is the Zerona machine in operation you see in the picture. The Zeltiq technique was approved in October.

Neither fat removal method works for the morbidly, or even less than morbidly obese.

Zerona and Zeltiq are for people who are near their ideal weight, but have some pesky love handles, or cellulite dimpling their butts and legs.

The typical treatment is six 40-minute sessions. The cost for Zerona ranges from $1,300 to $2,500. Zeltiq costs a bit more, ranging from $1,500 to $3,000.

Both procedures are painless, but Zeltiq does have a side effect, causing skin numbness that will last from 2 to 6 weeks.

Due to the fact that I just need some slight abdominal shrinkage and slight butt fat reduction, I think I will opt for the cheaper Zerona laser option. I may post photos of my new gut and butt upon successful reduction. Or I may not.

Fat Actress Kirstie Alley's Parasite Diet

After Cheers ended Rebbecca Howe, I mean, actress Kirstie Alley, famously blimped out, adding a lot of adipose tissue to her formerly shapely, thin form.

Kirstie Alley then got a show on Showtime, called Fat Actress. Fat Actress was the somewhat satirically fictionalized story of Kirstie Alley's life as a Fat Actress.

Fat Actress showed up on TV in the spring of 2005. The show was not renewed for another season.

But, Kirstie Alley lost weight and became the spokeswoman for Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers or Richard Simmons or one of those other ubiquitous weight loss specialists.

I do not know if Kirstie Alley kept the weight off, or if she is back being a Fat Actress.

In the below video you can watch Kirstie Alley on Fat Actress discussing going on a Parasite Diet....

How the Man Boobs Nation Gets Rid Of Man Boobs

Having Man Boobs can be a bit humiliating. I know this from personal experience. I went from being flat-chested to one day realizing, while running and experiencing a flopping sensation, that I was no longer flat-chested.

At first I tried to convince myself that I had very well-developed pectoral muscles, thus creating the illusion of Man Boobs. I believe this illusion delusion to be a variant of how an anorexic can look in a mirror and see fat. Only I look in a mirror and don't see fat, I see muscle, when what I'm really looking at is a pair of big ol' Man Boobs.

Like I said. Humiliating.

Once you realize you are sporting a pair worthy of something more substantial than a training bra, it becomes embarrassing to go shirtless. You start thinking everyone is staring at your Man Boobs, likely because everyone is staring at your Man Boobs.

Several things can cause Man Boobs, aka Moobs. The main causal factor is being overweight. If you are carrying more than 30% of your weight as fat, you likely are going to have Man Boobs to some degree. Lose the weight and the Man Boobs shrink.

Steroid abuse can cause Man Boobs to grow. Which is one more reason to not take steroids.

Excess alcohol consumption, or marijuana smoking can cause Man Boobs, particularly pot smoking.

Lack of exercise and its resultant lack of muscle tone can bring on Man Boobs.

So, how am I getting rid of my Man Boobs? Well, I don't smoke pot or drink alcohol. I have never touched a steroid.

To get rid of my Man Boobs I need to lose weight and get more exercise. That's my plan. When I get rid of my Man Boobs, I will take a picture and show it to you. But I'm not going to take off my shirt and take a picture of my current Man Boobs to show you.

It is just too humiliating.

For more Man Boob inspiration you can visit the Man Boob Nation website.

And watch the video below, which starts with a short commercial, which, when it is in an ironic mode, is a McDonald's  commercial...

Are You An Emotional Eater?

When something upsets you or makes you mad is your first inclination to head for the kitchen or the nearest fast food joint?

If so, you are what is known as an Emotional Eater.

Females have a greater tendency to be Emotional Eaters. Non-Emotional Eaters also eat when they get upset, but the Emotional Eaters, particularly the female variant, tend to indulge in high fat/high calorie food.

Researchers set up a study where dozens of Emotional Eaters were split in to two groups. One group was put in a stressful situation, the other no stress. Both groups were presented with a luncheon buffet with a variety of high fat/low fat, sweet and healthy foods.

The stressed Emotional Eaters took after the fatty, sweet, energy-dense food. While that non-stressed Emotional Eaters ate way less and ate way healthier.

Researchers think this may be a conditioned response, with the stressed Emotional Eaters going after the carbo heavy foods that can trigger a feeling of happiness and calmness due to the mood regulating amino acid known as tryptophan.

I don't think the morbidly obese individuals who's feeding habits I have observed up close were Emotional Eaters. Unless they were in a constant state of stress that I was not aware of, causing the constant over-eating.

Michelle Obama Battling the Childhood Obesity Epidemic

Michelle Obama got a wakeup call from her pediatrician who told her that her kids were over weight.

Unlike way too many parents, Mrs. Obama quickly fixed the problem, knocked off the fast, convenient food and amped up her kid's activity level and the nutritive value of what she fed them.

Hardly a day goes by that I don't see at least one terribly obese kid. Usually this occurs at Wal-Mart.

I do not recollect seeing an obese kid with what appeared to be the kid's parental units without the parental units also being seriously over weight.

I think feeding your child too much food, not regulating the kid's intake, allowing a kid to get too FAT, well, I think that this is Child Abuse.

I think Child Protective Services should intervene when a kid is too FAT. I think this would have a very good effect on the Childhood Obesity Epidemic.

Of course there would be those who would say an Obese Child and the parent's enabling the obesity are none of the government's business. I would say those who think that are wrong.

Below Michelle Obama talks about the Childhood Obesity Epidemic and why it is a subject that is important to her....

"Weird Al" Yankovic: Gets Bad By Being Fat & Proud Of It

Famed singer, "Weird Al" Yankovic, a martyr to his art, put on an extremely large amount of weight, going from skinny to extremely morbidly obese, so that he could produce an Anthem for those who are Proud to be Fat.

Watch the YouTube video below to hear "Weird Al's" passioned plea for Fat Tolerance and watch how smoothly "Weird Al" moves all that heft...

Are You Unsure If You Are Obese? There Are Various Methods To Answer That Question

I really do not know how a person might not know if they are obese or not. But, apparently there is some confusion out there in the land of over-eaters as to whether or not all that over-eating and under-moving has led to obesity.

The various methods of determining if an individual is obese all come down to figuring out how much of their body is made up of adipose tissue. Also known as fat.

To me the easiest method is to just look in a mirror. Or ask someone you trust, "Am I fat:?"

Way back in the 1800s a complicated method of determining if someone was obese was invented called the Body Mass Index, also known as the Quetelet Index. Or simply, BMI.

To calculate your BMI you take your weight in pounds and multiply that number by 703. Then you divide the result of that multiplication by the square of your height in inches.

See what I mean about it being easier just to ask someone if you're fat?

Wikipedia has a very, very detailed article about all you could possibly want to know about BMI.

Below is a YouTube video that goes into some detail about BMI and other ways of figuring out if you are obese and also what type people have a greater tendency to get obese...

Gar the Texan's Sister's Unexpected Weight Surgery Complication

A native of Texas, calling himself Gar the Texan, sent me a picture of his sister yesterday, as some sort of cautionary warning about a particular weight reduction surgery.

I digress to mention that Gar the Texan's native state, Texas, is one of the Fattest American States, yet not ranked in the Top 10, coming in at 13th Fattest, according to CalorieLab.

Gar the Texan claims his sister went under the plastic surgical knife to get a butt lift, with results that left her quite dissatisfied.

Gar the Texan's sister wants to get the word out.

DO NOT GET A BUTT LIFT!

Observing the Feeding Habits of a Couple Morbidly Obese People

I have had the privilege of closely observing the feeding habits of only two morbidly obese people. Observed, up close, it is easy to see why weight is constantly gained.

Both of the morbidly obese people, who's feeding habits I observed, had to top off every meal with a sugary treat.

I remember one of these two obese people, a male, having pizza in Eastern Washington, that had to be topped off with several candy bars.

The female obese person, who's feeding habits I have observed, and who is more obese than the male obese person, also had a worse dessert habit.

I recollect one instance where a fine healthy, nutritional Indian cuisine dinner was consumed. Upon leaving the restaurant the morbidly obese person insisted she needed to go to a nearby fast food restaurant where they custom made her a hot fudge sundae, filling up a milkshake glass.

The last time I personally witnessed the foraging habits of the most obese person I have ever observed up close, she was in a Safeway. Among the items that went into the grocery cart were bacon, donuts and a box of cookies, which the obese person seemed mesmerized by, as if caught in a push/pull dilemma, should I or should I not? After about a minute the cookies went into the shopping cart. Then a stop at the store's Starbucks to buy a sugary vanilla drink. Which I learned later contained well over 1,000 calories.

I assume this foraging pattern is repeated day after day. I recollect being at some event with this same obese person and she went to get something to eat. She came back with a healthy looking salad that she paid over 7 bucks for. She proceeded to pick out the salad's bacon, cheese and nuts and gave me the less fattening parts to eat.

I recollect being at another event where event goers seemed to take pleasure in bringing food to the obese person. Like one guy showed up and gave her a box of donuts.

The donuts incident is why I totally buy into that Harvard study that indicated that obesity is an infectious disease. In a normal day for me, I come in no contact with donuts. That day the donuts appeared I had a maple bar and an apple fritter. If I were to be in this particular obese person's personal space day after day, no doubt, I would put on weight.

I probably seem like maybe I am being a bit insensitive about obese people. But, I really don't think I am. I really feel sorry for anyone who gets into such a condition. It totally baffles and bothers me that this problem is such an epidemic.

I have been baffled when I've seen the obesity causing behavior up close, and I have been baffled by it from afar. Like a woman I saw tonight in Wal-Mart, stuffed into one of the Wal-Mart electric carts. I was amazed the cart was able to move, that the woman was able to get into the store, and then into the cart.

When your body starts to bloat up, why do you keep eating? I really think someone needs to figure this out.

The most obese person I've observed up close, who I've not seen since a couple hundred pounds ago, when she started to "fill out" she lost her neck. Her shoulders just swelled up and consumed her neck. With no neck, she was unable to turn her head. So, to look right or left, she had to rotate her entire body.

And she kept on eating.

As the fat shoved her head deeper and deeper into her chest she took on the appearance of Jabba the Hut. I'm not making this up. Multiple people have made this observation.

Don't go thinking it cruel of me to be so blunt about this particular obese person. She does not read my blog. She's under a restraining order forbidding her from stalking me, including making comments on my blogs or the blogs of anyone I know.

Now, push yourself away from the dinner table and go on a walk.

Laugh at the Fat Kid

Laugh at the Fat Kid is a short movie about a Fat Kid. It isn't Happy Meals making this kid fat. It is bad food from a bad parent who probably does not know any better.

The Fat Kid in this movie gets teased and bullied at school.

And then his parental caretaker picks him up after school.

With a box of donuts in the car.

San Francisco Mayor Newsom Vetoes Happy Meal Ban with Veto Overturn Expected

As expected, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom vetoed the San Francisco Board of Supervisor's controversial Happy Meal Ban.

The Supervisors had voted 8 to 3 in favor of the Happy Meal Ban. It takes an 8 to 3 vote to overturn a veto.

The Board of Supervisors is expected to overturn the mayor's veto.

Mayor Newsom's reasoning for the veto sounded quite reasonable. As in he basically believes it is not the government's business to dictate what a restaurant can put on its menu. Or to do the parenting job for parents.

I really am not understanding how it can even be legal to dictate the contents of a Happy Meal.

Why not just make only the Fat Kids to get the "improved" Happy Meals? How is it fair to punish the healthy weighted kids who want a normal Happy Meal?

Why stop with just tinkering with Happy Meals? Why doesn't the San Francisco Board of Supervisors vote to install Food Police in all San Francisco grocery stores. Ban the sale of any junk food to any person who has an Fat Kid with them.

Or make all San Francisco parents take their kids in for a Fat Inspection. If they pass they get a Happy Meal Junk Food license. To buy a Happy Meal or Junk Food, the license must be shown.

Of course this would just make a Happy Meal Junk Food Black Market. Or send parents with Fat Kids outside the borders of San Francisco to get their Happy Meals and Junk Food.

I am sort of embarrassed for San Francisco over this Happy Meal nonsense. Seems like the town has a good mayor though.

And doing something about Childhood Obesity is a worthy goal. But, changing the contents of Happy Meals won't help all victims of Childhood Obesity, like the girl you'll meet in the YouTube video below....

215 Million Overweight Chinese Enjoying Kentucky Fried Chicken

America may have the world's highest percentage of overweight people. But China holds the title for the most overweight people.

As in there are around 215 million overweight Chinese.

There are only 310,697,641 Americans, in the most recent estimate. There are 1,340,590,00 Chinese.

I remember when I was a kid being told to clean my plate because there were starving kids in China who would love to eat what I was not eating.

I remember when China had famines, with Chinese starving to death.

And now, in 2010, China exports food to the United States. I have Chinese garlic in my kitchen. And Chinese scallops.

American food has made its way in to China. This may explain some of the Chinese weight gain. Many of the American fast food joints are now operating in China. Like McDonald's and KFC.

The Chinese have really taken to Kentucky Fried Chicken. More so than McDonald's. KFC outlets outnumber McDonald's by a 3 to 2 ratio in China.

KFC is opening around 250 new restaurants a year in China. The Colonel has expanded from the Big Cities out to the Chinese hinterlands, with equal success.

A bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken does not seem cheap to a Chinese budget, but for some reason KFC is fashionable with the Chinese. When a new KFC opens it is swarmed with customers, to the extent that security guards are always required to control the crowd.

In the below YouTube video you will see a news report about the Chinese Obesity Epidemic. Including a shot of Chinese walking past a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet.

Francis Fighting His Morbid Obesity with Gastric Bypass Surgery

That is Francis, above. Francis describes himself as morbidly obese. Doctors gave Francis a bad prognosis, due to his obesity, with an extremely shortened lifespan, not expecting him to make it to 30 years old.

Francis was somewhere over 500 pounds when he decided he had to do something to reduce his size.

Francis tried to exercise more. That was too stressful.

So, despite the 1 in 100 mortality rate, Francis decided to opt out for gastric bypass surgery. The surgery was a success. Within a month Francis was recovered from the surgery and his size was shrinking.

In the below National Geographic video below you meet Francis, who happens to be a very articulate guy. You see the strain that his obesity causes Francis.

And you see Francis in the operating room getting gastric bypass surgery...

Nutrition Professor Mark Haub Loses 27 Pounds on the Twinkie Diet

I fear no good is going to come from the man you see in the picture telling the world how he managed to lose 27 pounds in two months.

Professor Mark Haub, at Kansas State University, where he is a Professor of Human Nutrition posed the premise that in weight loss it is counting calories which matters most. Not where those calories come from,

Now, this is not ground-breaking news, that consuming fewer calories than your caloric needs is going to cause weight loss.

However, what Professor Haub ate to lose weight does go against the conventional wisdom. Twinkies, Doritos, various Little Debbie convenience store goodies, Kellogg's Corn Pops and other sugary goodies.

Professor Haub carefully kept count of the calories he was consuming. Just to maintain a steady weight, he'd need about 2,600 calories a day. Eating junk food, Haub took in less than 1,800 a day. Hence the weight loss.

A further disturbing piece of this news is the fact that, apparently, Professor Haub's LDL (bad cholesterol) dropped 20%. His HDL (good cholesterol) increased 20 %. His triglyceride level dropped 39%.

The healthy outcome, from the unhealthy diet, is perplexing those who worry about such things.

Overlooked, maybe, is the additional fact that, amongst the sugary junk, Professor Haub also drank 150 calories worth of whole milk, drank a protein shake, ate some baby carrots and other vegetables and took Centrum Advanced Formula From A to Zinc.

Now, my fear is that the news of the success of the Twinkie Diet is going to be heard only in part.

As in, the one or two obese people who's feeding habits I have observed are already on the Twinkie Diet. Neither is very bright. They likely will now conclude they just were not eating enough Twinkies and will amp up the consumption hoping for that magic weight loss. Neither would be able to process the part about counting calories.

Did Hostess and Little Debbie stock go up today?

The Top Ten Fattest & Fittest Cities In America

You can find many a list listing Top 10, 25 or 100 cities, states or countries as to who is the Fattest. Or Fittest.

Men's Health magazine is a publication that seems to particularly enjoy ranking places for various things by various criteria.

I think the latest Men's Health Top 25 rankings for Fattest & Fittest Cities took place in 2009.

According to Men's Health, in 2009, Miami was the Fattest City in America.

With Salt Lake City being the Fittest City in America.

Texas has the honor of placing the most cities in the Top 25 Fattest, with 3 Texas cities in the Top Ten. My current place of residence, the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, was 14th Fattest.

Only 1 Texas city is on the list of 25 Fittest Cities, that would be Austin at 17th Fittest.

The Top 10 Fattest American Cities

1. Miami, Florida
2. Oklahoma  City, Oklahoma
3. San Antonio, Texas
4. Las Vegas, Nevada
5. New York City, New York
6. Houston, Texas
7. El Paso, Texas
8. Jacksonville, Florida
9. Charlotte, North Carolina
10. Louisville-Jefferson, Kentucky

I would have bet on Oklahoma City being the Fattest City in America. Not due to having seen the locals with my own eyes, but due to the fact that Oklahoma is, I think, the only state with an Official State Meal consisting of fried okra, squash, cornbread, barbecue pork, biscuits, sausage and gravy, grits, corn, strawberries, chicken fried steak, pecan pie, and black-eyed peas.

The Top Ten Fittest American Cities

1. Salt Lake City, Utah
2. Colorado Springs, Colorado
3. Minneapolis, Minnesota
4. Denver, Colorado
5. Albuquerque,New Mexico
6. Portland, Oregon
7. Honolulu, Hawaii.
8. Seattle, Washington
9. Omaha, Nebraska
10. Virginia Beach, Virginia

When you drive north, from Texas, heading to the Pacific Northwest, it is in Colorado you begin to notice that it looks like the people have had the air let out of them, as you start seeing way fewer balloon people than you see in Texas. So, no surprise that Denver is the 4th Fittest City.

Obesity Epidemic to Infect 42% of Americans by 2050

Depressing news today, courtesy of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which indicates that reports that the American Obesity Epidemic is slowing down, are wrong.

Harvard has something called an Evolutionary Dynamics Biophysics Program, in which someone named Alison Hill was the author of a study published in something called PLoS Computational Biology.

Currently the U.S. Center for Disease Control has the American adult obesity rate at 34%, with another 34% of Americans being overweight, but not obese.

The Harvard/MIT study looked at obesity as an infectious disease, somehow determining that American obesity rates will rise for another 40 years, leveling off in 2050 with 42% of Americans being obese.

If I am understanding it correctly, according to this study, obesity spreads like an infection. The more obese people, in your personal social network, the more likely you also will become obese, with, on average, a normal weight person having a 2% chance of becoming obese. That % increases 0.4% with each obese person with whom you have close contact.

Apparently the opposite does not work. Obese people do not lose weight if their social contacts are non-obese people.

If I am understanding it correctly, the theory is when you hang out with obese people you are exposed to, and may succumb to their bad habits, thus catching the Obesity Infection.

In my totally humble opinion, it seems ridiculous to predict the American obesity level 40 years in the future. Maybe a magic bullet will come along and cause a massive letting out of the air in the millions of American balloon people, well before 2050.

But, I am taking no chances. I have already eliminated all obese people from my social network. Better safe than sorry.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape & Darlene Cates?

That is Darlene Cates eating in the picture. Darlene Cates is acting in a motion picture in the picture. The movie is What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

Darlene Cates character in the movie is Bonnie Grape, mother of Gilbert and Arnie, played by Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Leonardo got a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Arnie.

Darlene Cates and Gilbert Grape are on my mind due to a comment yesterday from the Anonymous entity known as Skinny Lament.

Skinny Lament commented that What's Eating Gilbert Grape is the only modern film treatment of morbid obesity. Skinny Lament said he/she was haunted by Gilbert's choice to burn his mother rather suffer the degradation of her rescue.

That made it sound like Gilbert had killed his mother. What actually happened is Bonnie Grape, after years of being unable, managed to make it up the stairs to her bedroom. Where she died. The police told Gilbert they'd need a crane and the National Guard to get Bonnie's body out of the house. So, Gilbert turned the house into a funeral pyre, burning it down.

Skinny Lament also said that Darlene Grape "died from obesity issues some years later."

No. Darlene Cates is still among the living, residing somewhere on the outskirts of Dallas, Texas.

Darlene Cates grew up in the Texas Panhandle town of Dumas, north of Amarillo. When she was 14 she met her future husband, lied to him about her age, marrying him a year later, when he was 25 and she was 15. Darlene has 3 kids, a girl and two boys and 4 grandchildren.

Darlene Cates spent years being a lonely, depressed recluse. Then she got on an anti-depressant and began to return to the world. Soon her story became news with a 1985 appearance on Sally Jessy Raphael. Screenwriter Peter Hodges saw Darlene on the Sally Jessy Raphael show and offered her the role of Bonnie Grape.

In 1981 Darlene had gastroplasty (stomach stapled), at which point she weighed 410 pounds. She lost 100 pounds. Then started to put the weight back on, til she ballooned up to 550 pounds. Which is about the size she was in What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

Darlene Cate's eating disorder began in her early years when she sought comfort in food. Eating too much, along with a thyroid condition and a slow metabolism, brought big weight gains. And then in 1986 she suffered a pelvic infection which kept her bedridden for 2 years, leading to gaining another 150 pounds.

Darlene Cates has done her part in fighting the Obesity Epidemic. She has conducted school seminars on weight and self-esteem.

After the success of What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Darlene Cates went on to star in TV roles on Picket Fences and Touched by an Angel.

Below is a movie trailer for What's Eating Gilbert Grape....

San Francisco Attacks the Childhood Obesity Epidemic By Banning McDonald's Happy Meals

The Childhood Obesity Epidemic is a very big problem. And getting bigger. But should government be dictating to McDonald's what McDonald's can put in a Happy Meal?

In San Francisco, that's in California, the Board of Supervisors voted 8 to 3 in favor of banning toy giveaways in Happy Meals and other fast food promotions, unless the Happy Meal has some fruit and vegetables in it, along with a lower fat, sugar and sodium content.

The mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, has said he will  veto the ban. But the supervisors have enough votes to over turn a veto.

McDonald's is not too happy with San Francisco right now and is fighting the ordinance.

A McDonald's owner in San Francisco, Scott Rodrick was quoted saying, "Somehow the San Francisco Board of Supervisors just took the happy out of Happy Meals."

The Happy Meal ordinance allows restaurants to give away a toy if the Happy Meal amounts to less than 600 calories, has less than 640 milligrams of sodium, less than 35% of the calories coming from fat, of which less than 10% can be saturated fat. Less than 35% of the calories in a milkshake can come from fat, with less than 10% added sugar.

Plus, the Happy Meals must  have at least half a cup of fruit or at least three quarters of a cup of vegetables.

The government micromanaging a Happy Meal like this seems a bit nuts to me. By the way, nuts, seeds, eggs or low-fat cheese are exempted from the Happy Meal fat quotient.

Methinks it's the parents job to decide what their kids eat. How about San Francisco passing an ordinance where a parent of an obese child gets arrested for buying his fat kid a Happy Meal, slapped with a hefty fine and forced to attend parenting school? Or, better yet, bypass the Happy Meal trigger and just start charging the parents of obese children with child abuse. That'd be more efficient.

Weighing Over 1000 Pounds Is No Laughing Matter

You are looking at what a 1000 pound plus human looks like.

A disturbingly large number of humans have gone over the 1000 pound point.

I don't understand how this happens. Who brings them food?

Yesterday I was remembering a news story about a guy in Granbury, Texas who was over 1000 pounds who needed to get to a hospital in Dallas. Why? I didn't remember.

So, I Googled "Granbury Texas Obese Man" and was surprised to find I'd blogged about this on October 3 of 2008 and that my blogging about this subject Googled in the #1 spot. The blogging was titled "Obesity Is No Laughing Matter."

I was a bit amused to learn I've already mused about the subject of 1000 plus pounders, and then forgot I'd done so.

Wikipedia has an article with a list of the World's Heaviest People.No one I know is on the list. I know of a person, or two, working hard to get on the list.

Below is a YouTube video that is a History of People over 1000....

The Warmth Advantages in Being Overweight

This morning I found myself swimming for about a half hour in my un-heated pool. With the air temperature 57.

It takes a couple minutes to acclimate to the chill. And then, til the body core starts getting too cold, swimming is quite doable.

A time or two previous I have wondered and asked if people who are overweight, like carrying an extra 100 pounds or more, are they much more easily able to tolerate cold temperatures? Both in water and air?

Most extremely overweight people do not get a lot of exercise. Which is one of the reasons they are over weight.

I am thinking that it might be possible that a hugely overweight person would greatly enjoy some time in a cool pool.

Another thing about being hugely overweight and in water is a FAT person is pretty much impossible to sink. I have known only one hugely obese person, who also got in water. She was able to simply stand and float, bobbing in the waves. It is physically impossible for me to do such a thing. It looks like fun.

Though, hugely overweight women do have a problem with their Mae West's, if their Mae West's are substantially sized. Floating in water, standing up, well, the breasts become two giant flotation devices that could become quite uncomfortable and annoying. And maybe dangerous.

So, is being hugely overweight like having a natural skin diver's outfit on? Does it work the same way it works for another large mammal, that being whales, who are able to function in extremely cold water due to their thick layer of blubber.

I want to find the answer to this vexing question without having to go to the time and bother of larding on a couple hundred pounds to find out.

George Carlin Ranting About Fat Americans

The late, great George Carlin was one of the best stand up comedians ever to rant from an American stage. For George Carlin, no subject was taboo, near as I can tell. In the above video George Carlin gets in some pretty good bits about the American Obesity Epidemic. Ranting about what he calls "Fat Americans."

It comes at you pretty fast, but I think Carlin mentions American's predilection for fast food, for bad food, for not exercising, for waddling through malls, shopping and eating. I do not remember if he gets in a jab at Wal-Mart.

I do remember that Carlin gets in some speculating about some basic aspects of living that come easy to the non-obese, but must be extremely difficult to manage for the extra hefty.

Since it is George Carlin there is a sprinkling of profanity amongst the amusing remarks. YouTube has kindly bleeped them out. For the most part.

Single Incision Lap Band Surgery For Only $9,900

I saw this Lap-Band Surgery ad, this morning, in a local free publication. It is a publication with page after page of tempting restaurant advertisements.

Every day, at least once, I hear a radio ad for Lap-Band Surgery, with the price being $9,999.

As you can in this ad, the surgery is $99 cheaper than the radio ad, with something called a self pay price, making it even more affordable.

I am really stuck in a quandary. I really would like to lose weight and get back on the road to health.

But, almost $10,000 seems like an awful lot of money. I think it might be cheaper and more comfortable, in the long run, if I just started eating less.

And maybe get in some exercise.

After Lap-Band Surgery your stomach size is reduced from an approximate 6 cup capacity to about 1 cup. I'm thinking I can just force myself to eat only 1 cup of food per feeding. Sort of a Virtual Lap-Band of my mind.

I'll keep you posted on how well this works out for me.

Judge in Brazil Orders McDonald's to Pay Former Employee $17,500 Because McDonald's Made Him 65 Pounds Heavier

There are very few nations in the world without McDonald's. North Korea has no McDonald's. I don't know if Iraq now does.

I do know Brazil has McDonald's. For at least a dozen years.

A 32 year old Brazilian man worked at McDonald's in Brazil for 12 years. He worked his way up to being a franchise manager.

The 32 year old Brazilian man gained 65 pounds during his years of service to McDonald's. The man blamed the weight gain on being forced to eat McDonald's food every day to test for quality, so nothing bad was found by McDonald's "mystery diners" who randomly drop in on McDonald's to make sure everything is up to McDonald's high standards.

The man also attributed some of his weight gain to the free McDonald's food offered to employees.

I know how tempting free McDonald's food is. I have relatives who have exposed me to the temptations of free McDonald's food. I have never thought of suing McDonald's for making me fat from the free food.

But, the 32 year old Brazilian man did. Think of suing, I mean.

This past Tuesday, in the Brazilian town of Porto Alegre, Judge Joao Filho signed a ruling against McDonald's and in favor of the former McDonald's manager, granting the man $17,500, due to the 65 pounds of weight gain brought courtesy of McDonald's.

McDonald's has yet to let it be known whether or not they will appeal the case.

Methinks McDonald's should pay up and make as little noise as possible, lest this suing McDonald's by fat employees turns into a global trend.

The Lament of the Skinnies Unable to Become an Upholstered Woman

Someone calling him or herself Anonymous made a couple amusing comments to yesterday's blogging about the man boobs epidemic and Tom Cruise's lumpiness..

Anonymous used the phrase "Lament of the Skinnies."

I had never heard of the Skinnies before. Apparently there is a silent forgotten minority out there who can eat all they want of whatever they want, defying metabolic logic, by never being able to pack on a pound. No matter how hard a Skinny tries.

I also have never heard the term "upholstered women" before. I inquired of Anonymous as to what that meant. Upholstered women are plus-sized women.

Below is the first comment from the Skinny Anonymous. You'll have to go to the blogging about Tom Cruise's man boob lumpiness to read the other Anonymous comment.....

Lament of the Skinnies. Tom's lumpiness is probably due to liposuction.

As a lifetime skinny, I envy you who think a weight loss will solve all your problems of body image and life issues. Noticed is your preference for upholstered women--you all suffer from mass psychosis...that a weight loss will solve your or many of your problems. Not true. We skinnies are left to contemplate our mortal souls while you fatties are left in a safe place with a perceived clear life line of from A to B to achieve nirvana. It pisses me off--heard it all my life; your life is not going to change with man boob reduction and size 34 jeans. Believe me. 

Eye Rolling Life Long Skinny Person.

The Obesity Epidemic & Tom Cruise's Man Boobs

Earlier today I was reading about the Obesity Epidemic infecting Hollywood, causing many actors to proudly sport man boobs.

A few weeks ago there were pictures floating about the Internet of Tom Cruise, shirtless, while filming yet one more Mission Impossible sequel.

I can not remember where it was I saw the Tom Cruise Mission Impossible pictures. I do remember the comments people were making about the current state of Tom Cruise's physique.

There seemed to be pretty much universal agreement that Tom Cruise is now sporting man boobs. And that his muscles have gone flabby on him.

I was unable to understand why people were thinking Tom's musculature had gone flabby or that he had man boobs. To my eyes, Tom Cruise's chest looks like mine. Then again, I have been told I have man boobs, where I was thinking I just had well-developed pectoral muscles.

Below is one of the Tom Cruise supposed Man Boob pictures. Do you see man boobs?

What is that lump above Tom Cruise's belly button? If I were him I'd be more concerned about that lump than I would be about man boobs.

I do not know why, but apparently today DurangObese is all about the man boobs part of the Obesity Epidemic.

I think the first time I heard the term "man boobs" was on the Seinfeld episode where George Costanza saw his dad without his shirt on. This led to Kramer inventing, I think with the help of George's dad, the Brosierre.

With the growing number of American man boobs flopping about, I wonder if anyone is marketing bras for men?

The American Man Boob Epidemic

With myself being a longtime man boob sufferer, it is a subject close to my heart.

This morning I read that Hollywood is somewhat suffering from a man boob epidemic.

This is what I read....

"Hollywood stars have a tendency to search for physical perfection in their appearance but there is a trend of late for male celebrities to embrace what nature has given them. ‘Man boobs’ seen on actors such as John Travolta, Jack Black and even “Indiana Jones” star, Harrison Ford, seem to be somewhat of an epidemic in Hollywood."

I used to think my man boobs were well developed pectoral muscles, til some kind soul disabused me of that notion by pointing out I needed to do more push ups because I had big man boobs.

Man boobs have been around a long time, all the way back to the ancient Greek's heyday. The Greeks word for man boobs is Gynecomastia, which means "female-like breasts."

To varying degrees Gynecomastia afflicts around 60% of the American male population.

There are several things that can cause a man to grow man boobs.

Excess weight is one. Fat can cause more estrogen to be produced, and thus breast tissue. Other things besides being fat can cause extra estrogen to be produced, such as blood pressure medicines, steroid abuse, marijuana smoking and too much alcohol consumption. Tumors can also cause hormones to get out of whack.

It is fairly easy to treat man boobs. If they are due to being over weight, losing the excess weight will shrink the man boobs. If the man boobs are caused by excess estrogen, not related to excess fat, hormone therapy to lower the estrogen levels will shrink the man boobs.

Around 19,000 American men have resorted to breast reduction surgery to get rid of their man boobs. Most often liposuction is the means of reduction, using ultra-sound to target the fat.

For many men with man boobs it becomes a self-esteem/body image issue, with embarrassment preventing activities like swimming.

I can't remember the last time I felt comfortable taking my shirt off and going swimming. Losing weight is my treatment choice.

The Obesity Epidemic Was Sinking Disneyland's It's A Small World Boats

It has been a long long time since I rode the It's A Small World ride in Disneyland. The first time I  rode that ride I think I remember thinking it was cute. And it was fun being in a boat.

I don't think I was ever back in a It's A Small World boat after I left my teenage years.

It's A Small World is now in pretty much all the Disney parks around the world.

The It's A Small World version in Disneyland was shut down from January til November 2008 for some major refurbishment.

Disney denies it, but it is widely believed that American Obesity is the major reason Disney had to shut down It's A Small World for almost a year.

Seems there were some problems with boats getting stuck, causing It's A Small World traffic jams, which made those behind the stuck boats cranky.

When It's A Small World was designed, Disney Imagineers calculated the boat's load capacity based on the average male rider weighing 175, with the average female rider weighing 135. Those figures are as out of date with 2010 reality as the City of Tomorrow.

Over the years, to compensate for the ever growing heft, ride monitors would leave seats open. This annoyed those waiting in line. I guess Disneyland did not think it a good solution to put up a sign informing those in line that due to the Obesity Epidemic the boats could not be fully loaded.

Even with leaving seats open, so the boats could be buoyant enough to successfully float, occasionally one would bottom out at some point in the ride. The ride monitors then would have to locate the stuck boat and tactfully get the plus-sized persons off the boat and on to the emergency escape route. Some passengers did not take kindly to being selected as the cause of the boat not floating.

Disneyland needed a solution to the BIG problem with It's A Small World. So, the It's A Small World's water way and boats were replaced, with deeper water and more buoyant boats.

I don't know how long it is estimated the new boats will be able to reliably keep floating before the Obesity Epidemic starts sinking them again.

If you have never been to Disneyland and have never heard the It's A Small World song, or ridden the ride, watch the video below. You will likely see why being stuck on a boat hearing that song over and over again would quickly get quite annoying.

Ranking the American States From Fattest to Skinniest in CalorieLab's United States of Obesity 2010

According to CalorieLab, in 2010, for the 5th year in a row, Mississippi wins the honor of being the Fattest State in America. Colorado is again the skinniest state. Colorado seems to be the skinniest state in just about every one of these type rankings.

Maine put on some weight this year, moving up to being the 29th Fattest State. Maine was the 35th Fattest in 2009.

Tennessee also got fatter this year, moving from 4th, to a tie with Alabama for 2nd Fattest. The rest of the Top Ten Fattest are West Virginia at #4, Louisiana #5, Oklahoma #6, Kentucky # 7, Arkansas #8, South Carolina #9 and North Carolina #10.

Where I live currently, Texas, is #13, up one notch from last year's #14 ranking. I have not noticed Texans being noticeably fatter.

My old home state, Washington stayed steady at #28.

Oregon, where I was born, is way skinnier than Washington. Oregon lost a lot of weight in 2010, going from being tied with Washington in 2009, at #28, to shrinking down to the #38 spot.

California is even skinnier than Oregon, at #41.

The Top 10 of the Least Fat States (and Washington, D.C.) are New Jersey at #42, Montana #43, Utah #44, Rhode Island #45, Vermont #46, Hawaii #47, Massachusetts #48, Washington, D.C. #49, Connecticut #50, with, like I already mentioned, Colorado being the skinniest at #51.

Sharon Osbourne & Other Celebrities Losing Weight with Lapband Surgery

You are looking at a before and after picture of Sharon Osbourne, beautiful wife of Ozzy Osbourne. Sharon had a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band placed around her stomach in a procedure popularly known as lapband surgery.

I don't know how big Sharon Osbourne was when she had this procedure done. She seems like such a strong-willed woman I would have thought going on a diet would have worked for her.

There have been a few others of the entertainment industry celebrity sort who have publicly acknowledged having had the lapband procedure.

Ann Wilson, of Heart. Muhammad Ali's daughter, Khaliah Ali. Actor, Brian Dennehy. Guiding Light soap opera actress, Caitlin Van Zandt. Actor, Benedict Francis. Golfer, John Daly. And others.

I am currently not considering having the lapband procedure done. I had a Ruby Red Grapefruit, glass of skim milk and a stalk of celery for breakfast.

Abraham Lincoln's Obese Miss Mary Owens Fiance

Obesity did not just begin in our modern fast food times. There have been obese humans, for almost ever, likely starting soon after God chased Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.

Well over a couple centuries ago there was this American named Abraham Lincoln. Eventually he would become very famous with a wife named Mary Todd.

Before Lincoln married Mary Todd he was engaged to another Mary. Miss Mary Owens.

Lincoln had fallen deeply in love with one Ann Rutledge, she being the beautiful, blue-eyed blonde daughter of a New Salem saloon-keeper. In 1835 Ann suddenly died, sending Lincoln into grief so deep his friends feared he might kill himself.

Still grieving a year later, Lincoln agreed to marry, sight unseen, Miss Mary Owens, she being a well-to-do Kentucky spinster who was the sister of one of Lincoln's New Salem friends.

Lincoln later described what he thought upon first seeing Miss Mary Owens.

"I knew she was over-size, but she now appeared a fair match for Falstaff. I knew she was called an 'Old Maid,' and I felt no doubt of the truth of at least half of that appellation, but now, when I beheld her, I could not for my life avoid thinking of my mother, and this, not from withered features, for her skin was too full of fat to permit of its contracting into wrinkles, but from her want of teeth, weather-beaten appearance in general, and from a kind of notion that ran in my head that nothing could have commenced at the size of infancy and reached her present bulk in less that thirty-five or forty years, and, in short, I was not at all pleased with her. But what could I do? I had told her sister that I would take her for better or worse, and I made a point of honor and conscience in all things to stick to my word, especially if others had been induced to act on it, which in this case I had not doubt they had, for I was now fairly convinced that no other man on earth would have her, and hence the conclusion that they were bent on holding me to my bargain."

It took Lincoln over a year and a half to convince Mary Owens that life with him would be a living hell. Lincoln went into celebration mode when, in 1838, Mary Owens decided not to marry him.

The image I found of Miss Mary Owens must have been made long before she reached the size she was when Abraham Lincoln agreed to marry her.