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• Friday, June 8, 2007 08:58 AM

  OK, I accept the criticism, to a point.

  If I had actually said anywhere that fat people are lazy or disgusting, that would certainly be wrong.

  I think, though, what I've been saying is that fat is unhealthy, we are getting fatter, and that the health consequences are going to be serious. But, that is construed as being shrill, as humiliating or shaming people. There seems to be an automatic defensive response - how dare you say that anyone is fat, how dare you imply that being fat is unhealthy! Go away! You're not helping!

  This is a public health problem, and it's going to require commitment on the part of politicians, public health professionals, parents, educators, food producers, and all other citizens to get a handle on it. And it's going to cost money. Education is critical, of course, just as it was in helping people to be aware of how AIDS is transmitted, and how transmission can be prevented. It's got to start at the earliest levels. Physical education needs to be put back in the schools, and we need to get rid of the soda and snack machines. Parents need to provide their children with healthy meals, and families need to exercise together. It has to be a commitment on a national scale. But, we've got a lot of other probles we're dealing with right now - public health is kind of far down the list (unless it's an infectious disease - we're pretty good at dealing with those.)

  Have I persuaded anyone to lose weight? Well, I persuaded myself. The number on the scale kept going up, and I WAS in complete denial about why that was happening. Day after day, I was presented with the evidence that I was getting chubbier, but I didn't do anything to change it. I finally realized, to borrow a saying from Al Anon, that "nothing changes if nothing changes." I signed up for Weight Watchers (I'm not promoting this at all - it's just what I chose). I learned what a portion size is. I learned how many calories I could consume to maintain my weight, and how many to cut out to lose weight. I started to walk several times a week. I was out-of-my mind hungry for a long time. It was very hard. But, I started to lose weight. I ended up losing 20 pounds. That was three years ago. I have put back on 6 of those pounds, and am trying to lose them again. Is it a struggle to maintain? You betcha. At age 45, none of this is effortless anymore. It takes thought, planning and willpower (which is often in short supply).

  I'm no saint. I know how hard this is.

  —Jeanette D. Read Jeanette D.'s other letters
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