Mike, don't be fooled - it really *does* matter. Check the stats for risk of heart disease, strokes and diabetes caused by excess body fat, and you'll see why it matters. Excess weight is every bit as damaging to your health as addiction to cigarettes, drink or drugs. They're all hard to kick once you've got in that state, and there may be societal pressures that make it more likely for some people to resort to these as a distraction from everyday life, but ultimately it's *your* choice to get in that state in the first place, or *your* inability to recognise that your behaviour has got to that dangerous point. For drink, it might be inability to do without a "breakfast beer". For fat, it might be inability to walk a couple of miles, or inability to fit into clothes with less than a 50" waist.

In the UK, fat people are directly pushing up your taxes by increasing the cost to the NHS in treating these conditions. In the US, they're pushing up your Medicare bills. Let he/she who has to pay the health service bill for Fatty's various lard-related illnesses cast the first criticism. And in that spirit:-

"Get some exercise and quit eating cakes!"

Graham.