Step Away From The Cake, Madam

Picture this...

It is a nondescript office building, of the type that was thrown up, almost literally, with gay abandon during the heyday of concrete architecture. It has been designed with little concession to aesthetics and none to the comfort of the human workers, who sweat and swelter inside its storage-heater-like interior. It is the top floor. One of the workers is celebrating.... with birthday cakes. Not one, but two - carrot cake, and white chocolate strawberry cake. All the workers take a piece of their favourite, until it comes to one...

*Loudhailer* MADAM, STEP AWAY FROM THE CAKE. YOU ARE TOO FAT FOR CAKE... *aside* Call for backup... she's got a fork. JUST STAY CALM AND PUT THE CALORIES DOWN.

Of course, I exaggerate. Nothing like that happens at my work. I had a sliver of carrot cake and some water, it was ample (until the afternoon when I had a bit of the other stuff too) and no-one batted an eyelid. All is good in the world.

Unless, of course, you inhabit reality-tv-land.

Can someone please tell me, is Sky TV's Fat Families really as egregiously offensive and insensitive as the trailers portray? I haven't watched the show, because I happen to value my sanity too much, but even the advertisements can send me off on a barely-coherent rant the likes of which are becoming all too familiar to my dear and long-suffering hubby. Is is really considered appropriate to berate people for going out for a meal and eating what they like? Has fat become such a mal du jour that some smug little snake on a satellite channel can describe showing a fat person the dessert trolley as 'a trap' for them? Would we ever, ever consider showing a thin person the dessert trolley as a 'trap'?

Nay, nay, thrice nay. If this is the world we live in, I wish to make a strongly worded complaint to the management. People are free. That is, they are free to eat two! whole! cakes! if they really, really want, even if they are pudgy, plain ole fat, clinically obese (ugh), or OMGDEATHFATZ. It is really NONE OF YOUR GODDAMN BUSINESS. Hectoring people into hating themselves is not the answer. Pushing pseudo-solutions which could damage your health severely (coughlighterlifecough) under the guise of health, is not helping. What might help is a serious dose of compassion and enlightenment. We are free. Free to eat without scolding. Free to exercise, hopefully without any bimbo shouting something derogatory on the streets. Free to dress and act as we see fit.

There is nothing wrong with me, as a fat woman, eating something. Whether because I am hungry and need food, or because someone has brought something super-tasty in to share. I will eat, because I have to, even if you don't believe that fat people should be 'allowed' to eat anything other than a tiny plate of plain undressed salad until they can OMG CONTAIN THEIR DIRTY FILTHY ANIMALISTIC APPETITES. Because eating disorders aren't bad if you're not already thin. (/sarcasm)

I forget the point of this post already.

In other news, I joined the gym because I'm not able to walk as much as I was before and getting out of puff belting up and down the stairs (seriously, I run) is not making me happy. I've got my induction with the lovely Martin on Thursday, and if he indicates that he wants to weigh me, or to put a diet plan in place, he is going to get politely told to naff off. (Not saying he will, but it is best to be prepared.) My weight=/=my fitness.

Very little happening on the fashion front. I cleared out my wardrobe and have fourteen items of 'everyday' clothing left. The rest was so trashed, it went straight into the clothing bank. Sigh... at least I have fabulous shoes to fall back upon.