How amazing that you publish a comprehensive article on American fat people ("The Burdens of Being Overweight: Mistreatment and Misconceptions," front page, Nov. 22) and never once mention American food, which is unique in the world .
Visitors from abroad are struck by the rampant obesity. And they all complain of weight gain when they come to America. I've been here one month and have gained five pounds. There are four reasons why America's fat problems are worse than elsewhere.
(1) The food is denatured, frozen, freeze-dried, canned, cooked ahead and microwaved. Processing destroys crucial elements available from fresh food, and the body is not satisfied. Thus, though the food is full of calories, the body craves more.
(2) Sweets and desserts are the best part of the cuisine, but many are unnecessarily rich. Instead of chocolate layer cake, for instance, one finds triple-fudge-killer-cake, embellished with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and nuts.
(3) The portions are Brobdingnagian. In France, if you order a Coke you get a tiny, six-ounce bottle, which you nurse for 45 minutes. But in Mall Town, U.S.A., a "small Coke" is easily a liter; as for the "extra-large," don't ask! In Spain, if you order a steak you get no more than eight ounces. I'll never forget the place in Kansas City where the slice of roast beef was bigger than the plate!
(4) In the consumer society, junk food is everywhere, beckoning. Unhealthy temptations just don't quit.
The solution, of course, is to follow Miss Piggy's advice and never eat more than you can lift.
Your article was one of many in the current vogue for turning people into victims. It's too bad fat people are the butt of rudeness. It's too bad there aren't more people of good breeding who know better than to offend people who don't conform to the "normal."
But still, it's a question of personal responsibility. Fat people are victims of themselves because they ignore sound nutritional practices and allow themselves to be suckered in by "the culture." If not, why is this a peculiarly American phenomenon? SYLVIA SIMPSON GENSKE West Palm Beach, Fla., Nov. 23, 1992
-------------------- Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise. Posts: 3827 | From: beautiful California | Registered: Sep 2008
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whipped cream to the moon for me and I am a happy camper
-------------------- Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise. Posts: 3827 | From: beautiful California | Registered: Sep 2008
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