Which is healthier -- eating pizza or eating noodles?

You've probably figured out that not every item posted here on WWW is a Walt original. Sometimes Ed. just reposts something he or I have seen elsewhere on the Internet, with perhaps a little editing [Hey, I gotta justify my existence. Ed.] because it's bears repeating or is funny or Ed. is lazy... or all of the above. Here's one such item, which has been the subject of rants and raves on several sites today.

Tanuki, a Japanese restaurant chain popular in Russia, has apologized for a Facebook post which suggested that obese girls pig out on pizza while pinups nibble on udon (= noodles). Here's the meme.

"After going to Go-Go Pizza," says the text above the fattie, referring to a Russian pizza delivery chain. The slender brunette, on the other hand, is what young ladies apparently look like "after going to Tanuki." Who could argue with that?

Well, the usual gang of social justice wienies, that's who. They were quick to complain about fat-shaming, racism (???), and invasion of privacy, since it turns out the large lady is a real person, Whitney Thore, "a popular US television personality who suffers from a hormone disorder [of course. Ed.] and is a tireless campaigner against body shaming." The quote is from the story on rt.com.

Naturally the advertiser caved, and deleted the offensive (to some) meme. Political correctness rules... even in Russia!

VIDEO: Every skinny white airline passenger's nightmare

This is a coincidental follow-up to "Why Walt doesn't fly any more - 'Allahu akbar!' in the air", WWW 25/1/19. I must admit that, no matter how useless you think the TSA is, you don't find yourself on the plane with a fanatical Muslim all that often, at least not in North America. But the scene in today's video is all too real, and happens all that often because of the fattitude of average Americans -- the kind you see on Judge Judy. Check this out.



On January 2nd, the unidentified white woman seen in the video booted off a United Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Newark for having the audacity to complain -- not to the airline but to a friend on the phone -- about being seated between two very large black people, who she said were "squishing" her. The video was shot by the BBW on the woman's left, a nurse named Norma Rodgers, who subsequently posted it to FB to proclaim the couple's victory over fat-shaming and "negativity".

The lamestream media reports say it was Ms Rodgers who was subjected to verbal abuse, which is what she claims in her complaint to the flight attendant. What I heard the white lady say was "Oh my goodness! I don't know how I'm going to do this for the next four hours. This is just impossible cause they're squishing me. Like, friggin' just unbelievable. At least they’ll keep me warm. I can't sit here because they're both so big on left and right. I can't even sit here."

Sounds to me more like a statement of fact, rather than abuse, and please note the white lady's saying it not to Ms Rodgers but to whoever's on the other end of her cellphone conversation. It's the BBW who stops chewing on her cud to say, "Bitch, please. OK?!" Who's aboozin' whom? And Ms Rodgers is the one who says to the FA, "I will not be verbally abused by anybody. I'm not tolerating it!"

The flight attendant asks the woman if she would like to wait in the rear while they see if there is a free seat, and the offer is accepted "Thank goodness." That's when other passengers decide to confront the lady because, obviously, she's white and she doesn't want to sit with the black folkses.

One gentleman, who appears to be of the coloured persuasion, shouts that the woman's complaint is really all about MAGA. The woman tells replies that she's "not politically correct" and adds, "Why don't you try and sit between those two big pigs?" Notice that she didn't say "black" or any other race-related word. Nor did she say "fat". It's the BBW who shouts "Bitch, kiss my fat ass!" as the white lady is led away.

Such is the state of interpersonal relations in the "post-racial America" which was ushered in by the (first) election of the Prez. How wonderful to be alive in America now. Just don't count on the "friendly skies" being as friendly as they once were.

The fattitude of America, analyzed by race

If you want to see "typical Americans" or "average Americans", watch Judge Judy. I'm a big fan. The intro to the show says the people are real. "Real what?", I ask rhetorically. "Real stupid," I answer, "and real fat, too!" [Don't you watch your grammar when you talk to yourself? Ed.] The humungousness of some of these "real Americans" -- particularly the black women -- has to be seen to be believed. Used to be we'd go to the county fair to see the fat ladies, but now you can see them, in all their fattitude, right there on the idiot's lantern.

Before you get your shorts in a knot (or, for you Brits, your knickers in a twist) and start calling me racist, sexist or body-shamer, consider some statistics that I've found by diligent research and present here for your enlightenment (the opposite of "enheavyment" - geddit?).

First of all, it is beyond dispute that Americans, on average, are among the fattest people on Earth. Some say that Samoans are fatter, or Britons and Germans close behind, but Americans have been strong contenders for the "Mr/Ms 2x4" title for half a century. According to the 14th annual State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 70% of people in the US of A are "obese or overweight". And...

• The 10 states with the highest rates of hypertension are in the South 
• 25% of young adults who try to join the military are ineligible due to fitness or weight concerns
• Twenty-five states have an adult obesity rate of 30% or higher

The good news is that the growth in girth, so evident for so long, is levelling off. The report says that, between 2015 and 2016, adult obesity rates decreased in Kansas, increased in Colorado, Minnesota, Washington, and West Virginia, and remained stable in the rest of states. This supports trends that show steadying levels in recent years, yet adult obesity rates now exceed 35% in five states and top 30% in 25 states. West Virginia has the highest adult obesity rate at 37.7% and Colorado has the lowest at 22.3%. Here's a map that shows you, county by country, where the fatties are.

Notice the shading, from light (in colour and weight) to dark. Similar patterns may be seen in maps of poverty and maps shaded according to... weight for it (geddit?)... race. The "Disparities" section of the report confirms that "Rates of overweight and obesity have increased across the United States among people of all ethnic and racial groups, all ages and both genders, but some groups are disproportionately affected. Among U.S. adults, Black and Latino populations have substantially higher rates of obesity than do White populations. This is true among both men and women."

National data for 2013-14 show obesity rates for the various races to be: Asian, 12.6%; Black, 48.4%; Latino, 42.6%; and white, 36.4%. The report also contains data on American Indians. According to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) in states with reportable data for American Indian/Alaska Native populations, 14 of the 24 states analyzed had adult overweight and obesity rates above 70%. Here are the stats in tabular form.

When you factor in gender, you discover that black women have the highest obesity rates at 57.2%, while Asian women have the lowest rates at 12.4%.

The obesity epidemic is caused primarily by eating too much of the wrong sort of food, and too little physical exercise. However, there is a factor which the SJWs and race deniers refuse to acknowledge, which is that the races are different. Different races have different metabolic rates and require different diets in order to remain naturally healthy.

Races who originate in tropical or equatorial regions have a strong hereditary need for diets high in carbohydrates such as vegetables and fruits and grains and legumes. These foods tend to provide the kind of body fuel most compatible with the unique body chemistry of people who are genetically programmed to live in warm and humid regions of the world. Their body systems are not designed to process or utilize large quantities of animal protein and fat, which form the basis of much northern (read: European) food.

Europeans, on the other hand, aren't genetically equipped to survive on light vegetarian food. We are "meat-and-potatoes" people. We tend to burn body fuel quickly, so we need heavier foods to sustain ourselves. "Rabbit food" won't do! And the farther north you go, the greater the requirement for a high-protein diet. Eskimos (Canucks please read: Inuit), easily digest and assimilate large quantities of protein and fat -- whale blubber, for instance -- exactly the kind of foods that will cause all manner of health problems for people from the Mediterranean regions.

This is not an argument for white supremacy. The report and the many studies on which it is based just show the fact that the races are different, and have different dietary needs. People whose origins are in northwestern Europe origin people have nutritional requirements which are just the opposite of sub-Saharan Africans, and have a hereditary need for more fat than other populations.

The substantial difference in obesity rates between continental Asian populations and those Asian races living in North America (= American Indians, see chart) are directly attributable to the latter group eating "European" food. The same phenomenon is found in the Inuit of Canada's Arctic, and in China, where the burgeoning middle class is now eating more wheat than rice, and gobbling down KFC and Big Macs at an astonishing rate... and growing fatter and fatter in consequence.

Further reading: Click here to view The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, a project of the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Fat now in fashion as American women face reality

No more body-shaming, America! Double and triple chins, watermelon-sized boobs, 8-months-gone bellies, thunder thighs, and kankles are now not just acceptable but fashionable, as the "Body Positive" movement gains traction. Even New York Fashion Week is on board. Plus-size clothing brand Addition Elle (head office, Montréal!) is set to appear on the official Fashion Week calendar for the first time, as the label presenting its latest collection.

"We are so excited to be a part of the IMG Fashion Week schedule and to share the fashion forward collections that demonstrate there are no limits with regard to size," said (((Roslyn Griner))), Addition Elle's Vice President of Visual Planning and Marketing, in a press release. Walt wonders if Ms Griner means "no limits" to be taken literally. I've never seen (and never want to see) anything bigger than a G-cup bra. And I'm told that in the outlet malls on the Canadian side of the world's longest undefended border, clothing sizes on offer are S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL, XXXXL and "American".

Addition Elle's inclusion in the official Fashion Week lineup may well betoken a wider change within the New York fashion industry. Last February saw several brands use full(er)-figured models for their fall/winter 2017 shows. Brands now up-sizing or plus-sizing or out-sizing include Michael Kors, Prabal Gurung and Christian Siriano. This year also marked Prabal Gurung's collaboration with plus-size lingerie label Lane Bryant -- a brand that has previously teamed up with Siriano, in addition to Lela Rose, Sophie Theallet and Isabel Toledo.

So, ladies... don't let those mooing sounds men make as you walk down the street bother you. Fat is now fashionable. If any man body-shames you, just sit on him!

Note from Ed.: Addition Elle has been mentioned in WWW before. See "'Well-dressed fat lady' deemed offensive, clothing store clerk fired", WWW 6/4/16.

"Well-dressed fat lady" deemed offensive, clothing store clerk fired

Every now and then I rant about how fat is the new norm for the English-speaking peoples (in alphabetical order: Americans, Australians, Brits and Canadians). The AABC countries are facing an epidemic of not just fattitude but obesity. If you have any doubt about this, just watch a couple of episodes of Judge Judy or check out one of my favourite blogs, People of Walmart.

The females of our species seem more susceptible to the fat virus or gene or whatever it is. That's a fact of life, but not a fact you're supposed to state so plainly. Calling someone "fat" is now known as "body-shaming", an act of political incorrectness to which no decent slim person would ever stoop. (Fat people, of course, cannot stoop.) Just the other day, Scott "Dilbert" Adams wrote, "Most civilized people agree that so-called 'fat-shaming' has no place in our modern world. The unwritten rules of polite society say that a person’s appearance is out of bounds for criticism."

I disagree, because I believe most fat people could lose weight if they really wanted to, by eating less or exercising more or both. It's essentially a question of self-control and self-discipline, isn't it. But we can't say things like that. The PC thing to do is encourage fat people to feel good about themselves, no matter how gross they may look. Better they should think of themselves as "curvy" of "shapely" or "plus-sized". The last expression is that of a lady named Rebecca, pictured, who writes a blog called The Plus Side of Me.

Rebecca is the kind of BBW (Big Beautiful Woman) who shops at a "plus-size" retail chain called Addition Elle. (Geddit? -- Lots of pictures of BBWs on their website, if you're into that kind of thing.) They have an outlet in Edmonton, Canada, which has a vacancy at the moment for a saleslady/clerk/thingy. Why? Because they just fired one after she posted a comment online using the words "well-dressed fat lady".

Connie Levitsky, who only started working at Addition Elle in the West Edmonton Mall last week, said she was fired within days due to a Facebook post she made about the store's clientele. Her post read: "Conquering the world, one well-dressed fat lady at a time."

Ms Levitsky told CTV news her boss called that language unacceptable. "My manager specifically said 'fat' isn't a word that the company wants to associate themselves with," she said, noting that her manager said the company preferred words like "curvy" and "shapely". But Levitsky said those words are often associated with a certain highly-sexualized image of plus-sized women, like the ones featured in the company's lingerie ads. (Hey, I already gave you the link to the website!)

"If you go into any Addition Elle or Penningtons or Reitmans, you know that's not how all fat women look," she said. "So to use words like 'curvy' or 'shapely,' where you're essentially talking about a very specific type of fat woman, I think that's doing a disservice to the clientele that they were afraid I was going to drive away."

So let's have no more of this "fat-shaming". As an alternative to telling someone he/she is fat, Walt suggests asking politely, "Are you getting into the same elevator as I am? Perhaps I'd better wait for the next one." Or maybe just hold your tongue. You're welcome.

Another product for the fat of the land?

Mrs. Walt received, the other day, a promotional package of something called Herbacin. What's that? Could be a herbicide. I don't know. It was "her" stuff. Included as a little bonus was what I call an emery board -- something you use to file your nails. [I don't file mine. I just throw `em away. Ed.] It's the top one in this photo.

While Mrs. Walt was giving herself a manicure, I observed that she was struggling somewhat with the board. (It should be noted here that Mrs. Walt is petite, and not Born in the USA.) It seemed a bit bigger than necessary for her delicate fingertips. I got one of her "standard" emery boards for comparison -- the bottom one in the picture -- and found that the new one is a tad shorter but almost three times as thick as the old one.

Why so? My guess is that the Herbacin board -- I think it's just a promotional item, not the Herbacin product itself -- is yet another product designed for the hopelessly fat. By "hopelessly fat" I mean the average American. I first wrote about this trend to "fatten up" everyday products to match the expanding population almost five years ago. See "Fat and fatter", WWW 3/3/11.

Pens, cutlery, emery boards -- everything is getting super-sized, so as to be more easily managed by people with finers like sausages. There are curved shower curtain rods to accommodate those who bulge out over the edge of the tub. See "Showers for those who can't see their toes", WWW 29/4/11. Even coffins are being built bigger. See "FAT in life, FAT in death", WWW 14/1/12.

And the list goes on. Just this week we learn that Barbie has put on some weight. It's not that the new Barbie is "fat", you understand. That word is no longer politically correct. To call someone "fat" is "body-shaming". Tut tut! No, the new, bigger Barbie is "curvy", or you might say she has "a more realistic body shape". That's the official Mattel line, anyway. But the pix I've seen suggest that Barbie, like emery boards, has been redesigned for not-so-little fingers.

More products for the hopelessly fat

Creating merchandise specifically designed for the fat, the obese and the gigantic is nothing new. Marketers long ago learned to live off the fat of the land, so to speak, designing and promoting such fat-friendly products as fat pens for sausage-like fingers, bowed shower-curtain rods, and, yes, plus-size coffins.

The other day, in the middle of Judge Judy [You watch that?! Ed.] Walt saw a commercial for yet another porker-specific product. Now you can be fat but fashionable in... Pajama Jeans!

Apparently these have been around for a couple of years, but since I politely look the other way when I see a behemoth approaching, I never noticed them before. I'm not surprised, though, that a clever marketer has tapped into a deeply perceived need.

The problem for the BBWs -- I don't want to even think of a man wearing these -- is that they can't get into the skinny jeans that are all the rage at the moment. (I know the ads show women with slim(ish) figures, but let's not kid ourselves.) The alternative, then, would be sweat pants and you certainly see lots of tubs waddling around in those. But to wear sweat pants or track pants out of doors is to admit that you've given up fighting the battle of the bulge.

So, voilà... The perfect style solution for the larger lady. They come in a wide range [Geddit? Ed.] of sizes: petite, small, medium, large, XL and American. They're nice and stretchy, the better to show the amplitude of milady's curves. And they're fleece-lined so she doesn't have to wear "body-shaping underwear" (for better or worse, as the "Fabuliss" review says).

Walt's review: I hope I never see a woman clad in Pajama Jeans...outdoors, indoors or in the window. They are worse than low-class! Pajama Jeans are NO-class! Doubtless they will be hugely popular [Geddit? Ed.] in the mid-west and the BBBW community.

Memo to self: Ask broker to see if The Vermont Teddy Bear Company Inc. is publicly traded.