Wanna Be On Top

Tonight! The premiere of season 8 of American's Next Top Model, the show that has nothing at all to do with the real modeling industry in any way whatsoever.

I am excited for this season, because there is not one, but two plus size models joining the hopefuls, and maybe somehow, being together and having each other to eat ham with will stop the usual plus-sized model's fate on this show, wherein she goes from being praised for her spirit and beauty to being told she has lost her "spark," after spending weeks living with 11 skinny girls and not fitting into designers' clothes and being hated by photographers.

Maybe this time, the plus size girls will stage a coup. Viva las booties! Should be a pip.

What do you think? Will they make it past the early weeks?

Obese Eight-Year Old

An obese eight-year-old (stories I've read place his weight at between 189 and 210 pounds) is in danger of being taken away from his parents. According to the BBC:

"The eight-year-old does have a bike and a trampoline which he uses, but he has to stop after around 10 minutes because he becomes out of breath and can vomit. He has difficulty dressing and washing himself, misses school regularly because of poor health and is a target for bullies."

I have to say that I do place some blame on the parents here. The mother has said:

"Connor had a mouthful of apple once and he didn't like it... He refuses to eat fruit, vegetables and salads - he has processed foods. When Connor won't eat anything else, I've got to give him the foods he likes. I can't starve him."

And per CNN:

"Connor's mother said he steals and hides food, frustrating her efforts to help him. He eats double or triple what a normal seven-year-old would have... 'If I didn't give him enough at teatime then he would just go on at us all night for snacks and stuff.'"

Two major problems jump out at me. One, "a mouthful of apple once"? That's her idea of trying to create healthy eating habits? It sounds like she's just spoiling him, quite frankly, allowing him to eat whatever he "likes" which, of course, is crappy processed food. And secondly, the "snacks and stuff" he steals and hides should not be in the house in the first place. I mean I don't know if he should be taken away from his parents; that seems rather extreme. But these parents clearly need some better strategies in dealing with their child.

This story has been turning up all over the place, but Clarrie sent in the tip to Big Fat Deal. Thanks, Clarrie.

Irony

So, the New York Times article I linked to in yesterday's post said "Three years ago, Jennifer Hudson’s best-known fashion statement was a pantsuit that Simon Cowell, the resident acerbic of “American Idol,” compared to a roll of aluminum foil." Of course, as Ian pointed out, it was ironic when she showed up on the red carpet wearing a jacket made of aluminum foil.

But hey, at least she wasn't dressed like an AIDS ribbon. And she looked awesome in her sing-off with Beyonce--that red dress was smokin'.

Also, raise your hand if you think Norbit was the reason Eddie Murphy lost his Oscar last night. I completely believe that.

"Leading up to the Oscars, some speculated that the recent release of Murphy's lowbrow, cross-dressing comedy 'Norbit' would injure his Oscar prospects. The 'Norbit' producers hesitated over releasing it in the middle of Murphy's Oscar campaign, but director Brian Robbins said it was Murphy who insisted on releasing it on schedule."

I thought he deserved the Oscar, but part of me was happy he didn't win it. Up yours, Norbit.

You're Gonna Love Me

In honor of tonight's Oscars, here is a delightful article about Jennifer Hudson's style transformation since the days of American Idol. (I don't remember that pink outfit, but holy god.)

"No rail herself, [Hudson's stylist Jessica] Paster said that 'working with a girl that’s curvy has been a dream for me. She likes herself, so she’s not one of those freaks who is like "Oh, my God, I’m fat. Oh, my God, I can’t wear that"... she knows when she looks good in a hot dress.'"

I can't wait to see what she ends up wearing tonight; I'm sure she'll look amazing. I also love that instead of a pre-Oscar party, she had a "praise party" at her church. We're rooting for you, Jennifer!

Thou shalt have no fat idols before me

As anyone who reads Weetapidol could already tell you, I have an automatic fat bias toward talented plus size girls. So when I automatically fell in love with Jordin Sparks, I thought maybe it was because she was not the standard product of the Hollywood machine. And then I even wondered if she was plus sized at all, because maybe she was just a size 8 standing next to a bunch of size 0s, like Allison's model during the recycling challenge on last season's Project Runway. However, then I learned that Jordin's a Torrid Model Search winner, so she is wearing their clothes, which start at size 12. And then I worried that it was my fat bias making me think she was more talented than she is, since I am completely and utterly in love with Lakisha too.

But then I remembered that the only way to get onto the stage next to Ryan Seacrest is if you have enough real talent to overcompensate for a Rubenesque figure (ha! Oh! I am funny). Instead of worrying that I am undeservedly cheering for fat girls, I should probably be irritated that talentless goat singers like Antonella "Adult Content" Barba are being taken seriously just because they look like Bratz dolls.

It probably makes me shallow, but now that I've sorted that out, I'm really more interested in finding out where Lakisha and Jordin are getting their outfits for the show. SO CUTE!

Ohmigod You Guys

In the comments to the previous post, Jenn alerted us to this article, about an Indiana sorority named Delta Zeta that had a reputation of being "socially awkward" and responded by kicking out 23 of their members.

"The 23 members included every woman who was overweight. They also included the only black, Korean and Vietnamese members. The dozen students allowed to stay were slender and popular with fraternity men — conventionally pretty women the sorority hoped could attract new recruits. Six of the 12 were so infuriated they quit."

Of course the sorority is claiming it was "mischaractarized" and had something to do with fundraising or something. Brava to those six "conventionally pretty" women who quit. And what does that say about the other six, who stayed in? So much for sisterhood.

Mo Pie And Anne's Totally Honest Product Review Part II

Part one of our product review is right here.

Part Two: Anne's Outfit

Asymmetric Tunic

Anne:
So I received the asymmetric tunic in black, and immediately liked it on first glance. It's a nice heavy fabric, as most of Igigi's fabrics are, so it felt substantial and expensive, and it drapes really well, skimming the body but not clinging. There is a bit of ruching along one side, which makes the blouse very curvy and fitted - my tits looked magnificent, and my waist tiny, which is something I am always one hundred percent for. But what about the asymmetry? you ask. Where oh where does that come in? Good question! I reply. It appears in two places, and one place is far, far better than the other. The neckline is an unusual kind of slash, an off-kilter v-neck that is not deep at all, but sexy for being unique and unexpected. The hem, that's where we find the further adventures into asymmetry, and what ultimately confuses me about this top. The blouse is certainly tunic length – on one side. The other side, that's a little under hip length. And that means that you've got a bit of belly hanging out the bottom, if you've got a bit of belly, since the hemline cuts right along that area, and it is not flattering. That leaves you with a kind of -- flap, thing of fabric on the other side that looks like a flag, or a handkerchief, or something else not particularly attractive. It is a weird, gimmicky-feeling choice in styling to make, it constantly distracts me, and it drops the top from an A+ down to a B+-ish.

Mo:
I am totally into those asymmetric necklines—my favorite H&M sweater has an asymmetric neckline—but the asymmetric hem is a problem and I'll tell you why. It falls into the same fat-girl-design trap as bathing suit skirts. It's like a little Flap of Distraction. "No, I'm not fat! If you find yourself looking over here and you think you see some fat, just look at the waving little Flap of Distraction and be lulled!" I hide my fat swimsuit thighs (and my laziness about bikini waxing) with boy-cut swim shorts, because I feel like that sad little swim skirt is just trying way too hard. Ditto the Flap of Distraction. It looks fabulous on the model in the photo though, I have to say. Sleek and interesting, not flappy. So now I don't know what to think.

Brigitte Dress

Anne:
The second item of clothing was the Brigitte dress in ocean blue, which is way more teal than the photograph shows. I did not wear it on our date, because one does not wear a top and a dress at the same time. But I did wear it on Halloween, when I went as a devil in a blue(teal) dress. It's made in that standard Igigi heavy-feeling fabric, and lined well, so that it smoothed out the bumps and was Slimming. It felt a little short, to me - coming right above my knee, which is a difficult feat, considering that I have stumpy little legs. The length made it feel a little babydollish in not a great way, since the waist was high, dropping down from a weird cinched bosom that was not particularly flattering, especially with the ties hanging down. I certainly I wasn't crazy about the sweetheartish-neckline that felt kind of 80s to me. This is marketed on the site as a cocktail dress, but I am not sure Igigi's designers have the same definition of "sophisticated" as I do.

Mo:
Now I personally thought you looked fabulous in the dress. I loved the great fit. And by "great fit" I mean "your bosom." The gathers are, I think, so flattering. And the color was great, very rich, rather than a cheap, whoreish sort of teal. But if you didn't like them—see, that's the thing. How you feel in it contributes so much to whether you can pull it off. I feel that your bosom—I mean you—pulled it off, though.

Anne:
My bosom pulls things off all the time. My bosom is kind of a whore. Overall, though - Igigi's stuff is really well-made, really expensive-feeling and well-tailored, and there's a lot of attention to detail -- I think if you like a piece, and how it fits you, it is definitely worth the price, which is sometimes steep. But it goes back to aesthetics, I guess. My aesthetic and Igigi's aesthetic do not quite line up, in their casual clothes. Their ball gowns, though? They are pretty much flat out fabulous and rich-looking. I wish I had more balls to attend.

Mo:
That's what she said.

Not Alone

Bumping this post to include the link to Beth's blog, A Sense of Scale. Thank you for sharing your story. (For other resources in dealing with binge eating disorder, check the comments.)

According to a new study, binge eating is a more common eating disorder than anorexia and bulimia combined, and it affects more than 1 in 35 adults. 10 to 15 percent of the obese population suffers from binge eating, as did the author of this article. Binge eaters also have higher levels of anxiety and depression than those who do not binge, but are equally overweight.

"I learned where the few all-night mom-and-pop shops were located so I could pick up the evening’s supply on my way home from work. Then I would spend the night eating nonstop, first something sweet, then something salty, then back to sweet, and so on. A half-gallon of ice cream was only the beginning. I was capable of consuming 3,000 calories at a sitting. Many mornings I awakened to find partly chewed food still in my mouth."

Yet somehow, binge eating is not classified, formally, as an eating disorder. My theory is that binge eating makes you fat, and therefore far less sympathetic. People look at an anorexic woman and think how sad, she clearly needs help; whereas people look at obese women and think she is a "fat pig" who has no self control. And yet anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating are all eating disorders and all deserve support and treatment.

Thanks to Jen Wade for sending along the article.

Fat People: Stop Being Happy.

Anne Diamond, a British television personality, has a column in the Daily Mail, called "Why you can never be fat and happy."

It shouldn't - but fat demeans you, even in your own eyes...I was already divorced, but it is at this stage that many people turn away from their partner, and turn instead to the fridge. Outside my family, the closest relationship I had was with a packet of Hobnobs.

When you're fat, you dread getting dressed in the mornings because you hate all your fat clothes, and you dread going to bed at night feeling a failure because you've eaten a Malteser.

Because that is what it all boils down to. Fat people spend their entire lives hating themselves, wearing stretch pants and t-shirts and being ashamed to be looked at. Her experience struck some nerves with me, but I have spent a lot of my fat life deliberately working against every single thing she said, and I have ended up happy. It is hard to be fat, but Anne Diamond, you just made it harder on yourself.

The moral of the story: What's really demeaning? This article.

New Obesity-Fighting Game

This game somehow sounds a lot less fun than Dance Dance Revolution. (Which I do not yet own, because there are seven thousand versions of it and I have no idea which is the good one.) Anyway, this is not DDR, it is something else.

"'Body Mechanics,' teaches youngsters the disadvantages of obesity while involving them in play. At the opening of the game, Neuro, a Yoda-like wise man appears who narrates the game plot and requests gamers to join the team of superheroes who fight against the Evil Coalition of Harm and Disease... The fighting takes place inside the body of Jack Decayd. If the villains of the Obeez City are not contained, 'Jack will die soon.'"

Okay, at first I totally thought that was the "Evil Coalition of Ham and Disease." I would totally play a game involving evil ham, so get on that, game developers.

Mo Pie And Anne's Totally Honest Product Review

As you may be aware, the savvy marketing team at Igigi sent out some items of clothing to various bloggers for them to try and send back. Anyway, they sent some things to me and to Anne, and now here we are to review them!

In order to conduct our review, we put on our Igigi outfits and went out to dinner at Lime, a delightful little small-plate venue in San Francisco. (I had a fantastic Mojito. I feel that's important to record.) I wore the Camilla top under a black blazer from Target with the Palazzo pants. Anne wore an asymmetric tunic top and probably some pants or something. Here is part one of our two-part series.

Part One: Mo Pie's Outfit

Palazzo Pants

Mo:
The first item I'd like to discuss is my black pants. They have two layers of fabric--I don't know what you'd call that--are they lined? I know nothing about fashion. They are elastic waist "palazzo" pants. I thought they would be comfortable, and they were. However, the heaviness of the fabric and the elastic of the waist made me feel--and there is no politic way to say this--as if I were wearing "fat pants." When I was at my heaviest, I had a couple of pairs of billowy black pants with elastic waists. The elastic waist made them feel like "I give up" pants, and they reminded me of being too fat to wear "real" pants. I will admit this is totally on me. I am sure there are thin women out there who wear elastic waist pants. Or--wait--are there?

Anne:
I can't imagine elastic waist pants being anything someone would put on, frankly, and billowy pants still less something a fat girl should be putting on. I'll admit I found the two-layered pants a little weird - they looked a little bit like the kind of thing you stuff a Mother of the Bride into, with a sequined tunic on top. They only came down to your ankles - which is the fault of your long and gorgeous legs, really, and not the pants, but still mitigated the effect the designer was going for - a long, flowy, romantic and dramatic silhouette, I think. Even though I am kind of making fun of the pants, because flowy and romantic and dramatic is kind of ridiculous, they did achieve their goal - your legs looked totally poetic. The fabric also looked quite rich and expensive. But again, the styling felt a little old, a little fat-girl, as you said, and I have to wonder why Igigi doesn't make pants in lengths - it's the reason I'll never buy a pair from them. That, and all their things are wide-legged. I am wide-legged enough.

Mo:
And yet I think the wide leg thing is great on some people. Especially if you're bigger on top and narrower in the bottom--what's that shape called? The opposite of a pear. An apple? A lollipop? A Tyrannosaurus Rex? I really was in favor of the idea of big wide-legged pants--I love flare jeans, for example--but the elastic was the killer for me. And obviously the length; for those of you who don't know, I am 5'10" and they were just that little bit too short.

Camilla Top (blue)

Mo:
The screened-on lace shirt... my first reaction was that having that fake lace on there was like wearing one of those T-shirts with a tuxedo painted on it, or a big swimsuit cover-up muumuu with a picture of a bikini-clad body. (Those are so sad.) However, I really did like the shirt. I got a lot of compliments on it (until I pointed out the fake lace and then they said "wow, that's fake?" and looked closer and kind of laughed at it). I like the shade of blue, the square neckline, and the sheer sleeves. And now that I know (thanks to Product Anarchy) that the fake lace is a Christian Lacroix homage (Lacroix, sweetie, Lacroix), I am back on board with it. It is perfect under a blazer during the day (not too low cut) and then I can take the blazer off at night (sheer sleeves made it saucy). Still, if they had one for $20 more with real lace, I would totally buy that one. The fake lace makes me feel ambivalent and funny inside.

Anne:
The fake lace still kills me. Ha! Sorry, I was just remembering. I am not sure I can entirely get behind the dogs-playing-poker-on-velvet aspect of it, but I have to admit, it really did look smashing under the blazer you paired it with. The neckline was flattering, and the color did great things for your eyes. The length was right, and it was just fitted enough. I was not crazy about the shirt sans blazer, however -- the neckline cut for which I do not have a name was a little, again, old-fashioned, and the sheer sleeves left me cold. I think I saw too many sheer sleeves at the old-school Lane Bryant, which always screamed to me "My arms are too fat to show! My gauze astounds and bewilders you!" I would have liked this top a lot more with a square neckline and solid sleeves.

Mo:
I think the blazer over it is the right call. My favorite outfits involve blazers and tops paired with jeans--that's probably the college professor in me. But that being said, I liked the neckline and enjoyed the sleeves. Perhaps I am just too astounded and bewildered by the gauze to be objective.

[Stay tuned for Part Two: Anne's Outfit]

An Intelligent, Insightful Documentary

And the Film That Fills Me With Rage (see also: The Unmentionable Film) is rolling on, racking up the dollars of the stupid, even as the reviews come rolling in.

Happily, they say the things you'd imagine should be said about the movie; This review not only says them, but says them brilliantly.

A Perfect Body

In case any of you were forced to see That Unmentionable Film this weekend and need your brains cleansed, here's a Flickr photo that nita pointed me to. The caption is a response to women with anorexia, and reads:

"I wanted to tell them that a perfect body is the one that is fully loved. A perfect body is a body that can perform kindness freely. And such body needs nutrition. Perfect bodies feed on love and calories. Preventing one´s own body from being nourished is trying to make oneself evident for the lack of purpose. It´s a selfish act, in my opinion. For our bodies need energy to make this world peaceful, plentiful and joyful for everybody."

Thanks to Flô, the photo's author, for the sentiment. "A perfect body is one that is fully loved." Now that I want on a T-shirt.

A Girl Can Dream

Another article about employment discrimination against the overweight. It does have the usual depressing statistics about the overweight being fired more often and paid less and "we don't want a fat receptionist" and all that. However, there is a small ray of hope:

"When two competing candidates are equally qualified, often it is not their appearance that ultimately hurts the overweight candidate, it is his or her self-confidence...if a candidate is really outstanding, their size will not be an issue."

It would be nice to think that the discrimination isn't as bad as we fear, and that we are the only people who stand in our own way, wouldn't it? Who knows, maybe it's even true. Thanks to Kari for the tip.

OTC vs. WLS

I always like to direct you to interesting debates in the comments, and while there are always a lot of good comments being posted in prior posts, the current hot discussion is right here. Susan writes:

It seems to me that some people tend to recoil in horror at the thought of dealing with poop, but will gladly sign up for major, life-altering surgery. (And from my reading, WLS patients can also have problems with "dumping".) I've suggested to quite a few people that they should at least give Xenical an honest trial before opting for WLS, but they won't hear of it.

So what do you think of medications like Orlistat and Xenical as an alternative to surgery?

Kate Winslet: Still Awesome

She is threatening to sue a British magazine that alleged she went to visit the Chinese Healing Institute in order to try and lose weight.

"I will continue to say what I feel about this issue of women being thin and emaciated. It's just out of control. I know I'm a role model to young women. It's a role that I take very, very seriously and I would never want anyone to ever think I was a hypocrite in doing something like going to a diet doctor, for goodness sake. I mean, it's really, really ridiculous."

Yes, she's still awesome, still gorgeous, still fabulous, still my fantasy celebrity girlfriend.

The Kind Of Self-Love That Won't Make You Go Blind

To counteract the grotesque previous post, may I point you to the Valentine's Day celebration going on at Snackie's World? The idea is to make an "I love myself" post on your blog. In the comments of each post, people can chime in with passionate love for the blogger in question--in this instance, you.

However, putting a little spin on this idea, I invite you to post your own self-love in these comments. I like to hear that people love themselves on Valentine's Day! So bring it on: what do you love about yourself?

And in the spirit of love, I will say that I love anne and Weetabix. They are amazing writers, fabulous dressers, delightful blog contributors, and great friends. And I also love all of you readers and commenters (anonymous comments are enabled again, by the way) who make this such a special place to spend time online.

Thanks, y'all.

Two Gross Things

1. That unmentionable, revolting film is number one at the box office.Complete with totally offensive anti-Asian jokes, too! In case Mickey Rooney's performance in Breakfast at Tiffany's is one of your favorites.

"Murphy plays Norbit, Norbit’s girlfriend, and the Asian man who adopts him. As the Asian man, not only does Murphy wear yellow-tinted skin, but plays up the old Asian male stereotype, complete with poor Chinglish accent...I know Murphy playing a cast of characters is classic Eddie Murphy, but in this case, I’m not excited to see Murphy play two stereotypes (Asian male and overweight Black female) on-screen with the express purpose of mocking them both."

2. According to her nanny, Anna Nicole insisted on underfeeding her baby to make her "sexy."

"Ms. Marshall knew that the correct amount of baby food was 3 ounces every 3 hours ... Ms. Marshall insisted that the maximum I was to give was 2.5 ounces."

Wow. I no longer feel bad for the baby. She's bound to be better off, no matter who the baby daddy is.

Do You Think You're Sexy?

Science proves that confidence is key in a series of experiments.

"They had an overweight woman in a bikini, and one of them said, 'Do you think I'm sexy,' and one of them said, 'Do you think I'm fat?' And the results were that people responded yes to whatever it was. So in essence we're walking around with a sign around our neck saying, 'I'm sexy,' or 'I'm fat.'"

I don't know how scientific any of this really is, but the article is full of good advice. I myself will try to stop obsessing over my fat roll, Flappy, immediately.

The TrimSpa Connection

This morning I got an email from reader Heather, who said:

"As soon as I heard that AN was pregnant, my immediate thought was 'I hope she goes off the Trim Spa until she delivers'. When I heard that she had died, I instantly wondered if the TrimSpa was in any way involved. There is no doubt in my mind from the assorted coverage of her, that she had some kind of a substance abuse problem. I know my own personal side effects of TrimSpa (heart racing, jittery, etc). If you combine TrimSpa with whatever other substances AN was taking, I would imagine it would eventually lead to a heart attack or stroke. I am curious as to your thoughts on the matter as well as the thoughts of the other readers of BFD. "

I did a quick search for TrimSpa this morning to see if there was any news. And there is plenty. Here is a sampling:

TrimSpa's "Be Envied" tagline is kind of unfortunate right about now. I never actually envied Anna Nicole Smith, but right now I think nobody else does, either.

TrimSpa is moving forward without Anna Nicole. Their ads will feature "ordinary people."

Anna Nicole's fridge was "…stocked with cans of Slim-Fast, yogurt, the nutritional supplement Miracle 2000, French’s Worcestershire Sauce, spray butter and an array of prescription medications, including methadone." There was also a box of TrimSpa next to the fridge.

Here are the photos of her fridge from TMZ.

But were the photos faked? "They staged photos, such as putting TrimSpa and Slim-Fast in a refrigerator to slight her… It was like grave robbery ... I thought it was cute to put the Slim-Fast in the refrigerator. Sick is how I described the placing of the methadone."

TrimSpa won't survive this crisis. (Says expert.)

So like I said, plenty of news about TrimSpa—but as to whether it contributed to her demise, we'll have to wait for the official autopsy results. In the meantime, feel free to speculate away in the comments.

May experience adverse side effects

This is sort of oldish news, but the FDA approved an over the counter form of Xenical/Orlistat last week. Called Alli (I'm assuming this should be pronounced like "ally" and not like "Muhammed Ali"), it will be available this summer.

I've taken Orlistat. The upside? I lost about 35 pounds over the course of six months. The downside? There are definitely some crazy side effects, such as almost shitting oneself after a particularly rich meal (and by "almost" I mean "yes"), not to mention the fact that the drug also discourages the absorption fat-soluable vitamins and my hair started falling out at an alarming rate.

The real reason that I quit, though, is that once I calculated the cost of each pill (my insurance didn't cover it) I was always mentally bargaining: did an Egg McMuffin, which only has 7 WW points, have enough fat in it to justify a pill or should I save the $2 capsule so I can have a Whopper for lunch? I decided that I was treating it like a "get out of jail free" card when it came to calories and it wasn't a healthy balance, so I stopped taking it.

Is this method a wise choice for reasonable weight reduction? Do the side effects mean nothing if you can indulge and still lose weight? Will we start seeing models shopping in the Depends aisle?

Gah!

This story is a couple months old, but Back in Skinny Jeans re-linked to it today and I hadn't read it before. A 12-year-old girl got liposuction because she wanted her father to see her "looking slim and pretty in a dress before he dies." I can't say it any better than BiSJ:

"There is absolutely no reason for a 12 year old to get liposuction to lose weight, and there is no reason for parents to allow such a dangerous procedure on a young girl who is still growing and developing. Brooke is in 6th grade for crying out loud. Aren't there some kind of laws or standards on cosmetic surgery on growing children. If not, there should be. Liposuction on a 12 year old to lose weight is truly horrifying."

In fact, I can't think of anything to add, as I am too fraught with horror to type.

I'm Going With Bad Idea

Sometimes I hear about projects in the works and am convinced that they will fail miserably. Sometimes I am wrong--didn't we all think the U.S. Office would be a terrible idea? So I am trying to be open minded about the fact that Kirstie Alley is going to play the vicar in the U.S. version of The Vicar of Dibley. But really, Dawn French is a comic genius, and Kirstie Alley is a nutty Scientologist. See the difference?

"The plot premise will be shifted slightly so that Alley, 56, is cast as a preacher returning to the small town where she grew up as a rebel. In the British version, Dawn French is a newcomer as vicar in an Oxfordshire village."

So it's basically going to be an entirely different show. An entirely different, very bad, show.

Where Have I Been?

I apparently missed the news that our own Pasta Queen, frequent and fabulous commenter on this very blog, has landed a book deal! That is absolutely awesome news; I love to see virtual friends finding success. Congratulations, PQ.

The Anna Nicole Smith Memorial Post

She is gone. Yes, as in dead. The Big D. My money is on a drug overdose, by the way. (As a friend pointed out, losing all that weight... however she did it, since we know TrimSpa is a scam... might have weakened her heart. But I bet she was taking enough drugs to kill anyone.)

And that poor, poor little baby--though she might be better off than with Anna Nicole and Howard K, both reportedly addicts. I guess they're going to have to put a rush on that paternity test Anna Nicole was trying to evade... which I'm sure will show that Birkhead is the father. And that underage girl who was suing her (and TrimSpa) is out of luck too.

Maybe I just want a tutu

I've been fascinated with ballet since I was a child. I even had a pair of pink satin ballet slippers and concocted a homemade tutu out of ribbon and a bunch of tulle. I wanted to take lessons, but my mother was always quick to remind me that you had to wear leotards and tights. I suppose she was trying to protect me from potential taunting (rather than consciously introducing body shame), and I probably quickly admitted that I didn't want to endure that.

The Big Ballet formed in 1994 and set out to deliberately and, above all, self-confidently challenge accepted social standards in a world where the pursuit of slenderness and beauty seems obsessive. The dancers courageously and imposingly prove that grace, elegance, charisma and nimbleness is not the demesne of the "thin", proudly presenting their voluptuous yet surprisingly sinuous and flexible figures.

They're about to tour in the UK and as such, they are getting some mixed press, the kind that uses a lot of words like "hefty" and "straining seams" and mentions that it takes four guys to lift one ballerina. Are the fat jokes the lure for the audience and by the end of the show, the payoff is changed perceptions?

A quote from a troupe member in the Daily Mail, (Dear God, the headline calls themSugar Plump Fairies):

It's hard being teased your whole life then finding the confidence to go on stage and perform in front of so many people, but now I have it and I am so happy. We hope we are helping to change the public perception about larger people and encourage big children to take part in sport and dance.

I choose to ignore the rest of the irritating stuff and focus on that, mostly because it gives me hope that I can still learn to arabesque en pointe. And this picture makes me really happy. Rock on, ballerina!

Dear Big Fat Deal

Every once in a while, a comment comes along that breaks my heart. Here is one such comment from Me101:

"I am the fat one in my group of friends, i am also the ugly one. I am 20 years old, and I have never had anyone tell me I am pretty or attractive...I hate myself so much, but none of my friends seem to notice....i hate being me so much it hurts, being the 'fat one' means no one guy has ever looked at me and found me attractive, they just look at my thinner prettier friends and want them instead."

I obviously don't know what you look like, Me101, but being a size 18 on top, 22 on the bottom, does not make you ugly or undesirable. Look at all the fabulous babes on Fatshionista (their livejournal community is here) who are rocking their curves. Plenty of women of all sizes have found love, plenty of men enjoy big beautiful women, and you will get plenty of attention for your own special brand of beautiful, if you can learn to love yourself.

So here's my advice, even though you didn't ask for it. Buy some cute outfits from Torrid that will make you stop envying the outfits of your friends and make you start feeling good about yourself. Understand that your fat isn't the problem--the fact that you don't see your own beauty is the problem. I know some guys will gravitate to your thinner, prettier friends, but some of them will gravitate to you as well. I know from experience. And hey, you can always go find some friends who are the same size as you are, cover yourselves in glitter, hit the town, and see what happens.

Readers, any more advice for Me101?

More on Size Zero

British magazine Stella and model agency ICM are "joining the fight against size zero" by putting on a competition for ladies size 12 - 16.

The winner gets "introduced" to ICM, a thousand pounds (the money kind), and possibly a ham.

And while there are great quotes that go on about "reflecting the true size of women in this country" and "size ain't nothing but a number, baby," and "mmm, mmm, mmm, bootylicious!" and "size zero is an evil force of evil that must be stopped before there is more evil," and so on (quotes may have been paraphrased, somewhat), I can't help but think that "introduction" is going to go nowhere, and the number of size 12-16 models at ICM will increase by zero. (Zero! See what I did there?)

Anyway. Am I just too cynical?

Another "Fat" Celebrity

This time it's Tori Spelling being referred to as "an endless food pit" and a "shameless glutinous [sic] beast." Yes, Tori has dared to gain weight while pregnant. I am deleting celebrity terrorist from my bookmarks immediately, but if you want to see a photo of this disgusting creature who is actually allowing herself to eat while pregnant, you can feel free to follow that link.

Then again, there was some speculation recently that she was the subject of a blind item about drinking while pregnant. If that's true, I promise I will feel an itty bitty bit less offended.

New Weight Loss Blog

It's still in the early stages (no logo yet, very austere design, still have not gone back to worship at the feet of the BFD poster who gave me the idea for the blog's title) but here it is: the successor to Mr. Ointy, Contents May Be Hot. At least I've got a Technorati sidebar going on. That's good, right?

Size Zero Spice Bans Size Zero Models

Okay, so it looks like Posh Spice, who is herself probably a size negative zero, has banned size zero models from modeling her clothing line!

"Victoria wants to give out a positive image that you don't have to be ultra skinny to look good. Many of the models on the catwalk make young girls feel insecure about their own bodies. Victoria doesn't want to be accused of giving young girls a complex about their image and putting pressure on them to be as skinny as her."

Well, I really can't argue with that. In fact, I kind of admire it. But I think it's hilarious that the woman pictured next to her is the so-called "voluptuous" model. She's what, a size 2? Yeah, BBW alert! Thanks to emily for the link.

Tyra Banks Weeps for the Plight of the Fat

After she stops posing like a dipshit and making it all about her - I've got to give her props.

Now if only Cheetoes had negative calories

West Virginia, the state with the highest prevalence of obesity among its children, will introduce the video game Dance Dance Revolution as part of its curriculum, based on an insurance company's study.

A group of kids, aged 7 to 12, did 30 minutes of DDR five times a week while a control group did not play DDR. The control group gained an average of 6 pounds during the 24 week study while the DDR group maintained their weight. I can't find anything indicating that they monitored BMI or body fat. Considering that most 7- to 12-year-olds will grow over six to seven months, if they maintained their weight, it's very likely that overall, they lost fat and gained muscle while going through their natural growth spurts during this time.

Anecdotally, I've watched my friends playing this game (hello, I am lazy) and thirty straight minutes will, quite frankly, kick your ass. And this lady credits the game with helping her lose 95 pounds over the course of several years.

Prior to the study, most of the children reported feeling awkward about participating in gym and physical activity at school. Following the study, children from the group reported feeling more confident and willing to try other exercises.

So, not only are kids of all sizes rocking out to DJ Sammy and Gwen Stefani, but they are feeling better about themselves and learning that it feels good to move. And the only cost to the school is a few X-boxes and a couple of dozen dance pads.

I'd like to see a "You Are Fat" billboard achieve that.

Smokin' Doobies With My Brothers

Even though marijuana makes David Brent "go to munchie city," and even though the coffee shops in Amsterdam very shrewdly sell chips, cookies, and candy along with all that hash, there is new evidence to suggest that it might actually help you lose, as well as gain, weight.

The cannabis plant has 70 different cannabinoids in it and each has a different [e]ffect on the body... Some can stimulate your appetite, and some in the same plant can suppress your appetite. It is amazing both scientifically and commercially."

Even though this drug would be derived from a plant, which is nature and therefore good for you, the knee-jerk reaction to marijuana in the U.S. pretty much gurantees that you'll have to go to Europe to get it. As if I needed an excuse to go back to Amsterdam.

(Did you notice that I worked references to both the UK and the U.S. Office into this post? Ten points for me.) (And thanks to Anica for the link!)