There was an item in the NY Post this morning about a "dating site for big-boned women called 'The Big and the Beautiful'."
There's nothing wrong with either "big" or "plus-sized" as substitutes for "fat." A gentle little euphemism never hurt anyone. And we shouldn't blame people for things they have little control over.
But "big-boned" is just transparently dishonest.
It's as if they're saying, "It's not me that's fat, it's just my bones. You see, they're all about four inches thick, which makes me look fat. But that's just an optical illusion. It's not that I sit around eating bon-bons all day and I'm too lazy to get up off my fat ass and exercise -- it's that my bones are big."
Okay, we get it: you have no responsibility in the matter. And since it's completely out of your hands, there's no judgment called for. And you're not a tub of lard -- you're a tub of bones! Hey, maybe we should just call you bony rather than fat.
Come to think of it, it does seem as if you have a rather thick skull.
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John--That was funny. To cure this problem I've always thought there should be a tax on being fat, particularly in airplanes. You pay per pound of body weight rather than by seat. Later, Brian
Brian --
Thanks, interesting thought. There's certainly a case to be made for airplanes charging by the pound (for luggage as well as body weight). As it is airlines are all essentially all-you-can-eat buffets, which charge the same fee no matter how much you weigh/eat.
John--On a serious note, as any doctor knows, there are 3 different physical types stemming from the embryo--mesomorphic (of muscular origin), endomorphic (of fatty origin), and ectomorphic (of nerve origin). Everyone is a blend of the 3, but some people (like me) are predominately one, or 2. In my case it's ectomorphic, and in yours, from observation, it's about an equal blend of all three--the most desirable, fyi. Unfortunately for the endomorphs, they just walk past a bakery and gain 10 pounds, whereas a guy like me could eat jelly donuts all day and lose weight. Well, too long a story, but "big boned" people happen to also have "potato poisoning", so they crave simple carbs which results in weight gain. Well, it's not totally their fault, but then they also seem to be happier than I! Go figure....Brian
Brian --
Thank you, and yes, there's no question that different people have different metabolisms, different appetites, and different lifestyles, and recent research has shown that we're born with a certain amount of fat calls, which we can basically do nothing about. And as I said in the essay, you can't blame people for what they can't help. The point of the post was to criticize a ridiculous euphemism, not criticize fat people.
Perhaps it's a meeting site for those with conditions such as acromegaly and gigantism? Those folks may be looking for love just like others do.
Absolutely nothing wrong with that. My only criticism is the use of that ridiculous phrase.
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