Dear 17,
You're fat, as I am, because you had fat ancestors. There was a massive study done in Scandinavia in the 60's or 70's which determined that an overwhelming majority of obese people come from pesant stock - as I do. For a subsistance farmer this is a great benefit. When food is available, we pesants (sp?) put on weight very easily; during the harsh winter, the weight tends to stay, no matter how hard we work; then in the Spring, when ordinary people have no strength left for plowing or forraging, we still have fat reserves to draw on to do the necessary work. It may not be stylish but it's survival. A lot of the country men I've known prefer a solid woman. At the turn of the century, bulk was a sign of success. Hang on, some day the wheel will turn again. Some day the AMA may even read that Scandinavian study.