no one ever told big Hamish he was FAT!!!

If you mean Hamish Imlach - he did, himself.

In the ten years since the last posts in this thread there has been a lot of research into what drives obesity. One hugely important factor is gut bacteria; drastic changes in gut flora (by antibiotics, changes in diet or poo transplants) can either cause or induce obesity. And one thing that now seems not to matter at all is how much physical exertion you do: NOBODY can burn off fat by exercise.