Cathy Classics by Cathy Guisewite for May 13, 2010

“Thin” and “healthy” are NOT the same thing. Get used to it.

Which is exactly Cathy’s point – I think.

But “fat” and “unhealthy” ARE the same thing

The fastest way to drop weight is to get rid of annoying “friends” and family (in-laws).

I had an aunt who was “fat”. She lived to 103 years of age.

My mother is “fat”. She is 86 and still going strong.

We each have our own idea of what “healthy” is….society dictates that for the most part, Americans aren’t healthy due to diet and lack of exercise….

Cathy is trying to mesure up to her own idea of healthy, but society (the other office workers), are nay-saying a bit too loudly.

Wanting to be thin isn’t politicaly correct anymore but no matter what kind of euphemisms Cathy uses she still wants to be thin so that other people will value her. Its sad that we can change the words but not the attitude

I know people disapprove of this, but for many years I have thought that it is bad to be fat (to use a word that is much too explicit - if you prefer, try overweight, obese, etc. - there are many substitutes). It *is* unhealthy! It puts you at risk for all kinds of undesirable illnesses! How can this be ok?

Makes me think of smoking, which was considered ok for a long time because it looked glamorous.

I can see that you shouldn’t judge the individual person by what it said on the weigh scale. But I still maintain that fat isn’t good for you. I don’t care about being politically correct.

Rina, the problem is with society’s definition of “fat”. If someone is truly obese, then it IS unhealthy. But when a woman who wears size 12 is considered a “plus size” model (for instance, Mia Tyler) , something is seriously wrong. I know people who are 20 or 30 pounds over their “ideal” weight that are much healthier than “thin” people who have lost weight by going on crash diets, which rob your body of vital nutrients.

Sorry, but I just don’t believe that being overweight and honestly healthy is possible. I know the fat clothes models wanted to try to push that a few years ago, but nobody’s buying it. Even if you have no abnormal tests, the extra weight takes its toll on your joints, ligaments, all of your internal organs, and on your back. I’ve never been around overweight people who don’t gasp for air. Even slightly overweight people get out of breath quickly. I don’t think any of that is healthy, and neither do doctors. You also can’t really judge obesity by dress size. At tall person of a larger bone structure being a size 12 might be normal, with a low BMI, but if I were a size 10, I would be obese. I wear size 1 and size 3, depending on what it is. If I gain weight and go up to size 5, I can’t breathe. I’m 5’ 1”.

I spent my life staying THIN. I’m proud of it. Even if I fall over dead from what I had to do to be thin.

I’m kind of joking there, but I gave up the super healthy way of life I used to lead after I got cancer the first time (I’ve had 2 different kinds) for no reason at 27. I figured, why bother. It’s bunk. I enjoy myself now, and if I gain a little weight, so what. I lose it again. Now that I have no guilt over having something good if I want it, I can’t even tell you the last time I ate a dessert. I don’t even think about it anymore, but when I denied myself for years, all I thought about was food.

Thin and healthy are not the same AND fat and unhealthy are not either.. there are lots of unhealthies out there who are not fat….

Mrs LS - you must be one of those people with a really tiny bone structure and very small muscles. I’m 5’2” and was 100 lbs in H.S. - the smallest I could ever get to was a size 7.

From the male perspective on the female, the term “healthy” most definitely does not mean “thin”! Let there be curves (in the correct places, of course)…!

I’m impressed!

Everyone has been remarking for weeks and weeks how Cathy never seems to go to work anymore, just shop or kvetch, at home or the accountant’s or the mall.

Today she’s at work … and nobody cares!

Go figure.

I’ve managed to stay fairly thin my whole life but since my own breast cancer, the meds I’m on have driven me to go to Weight Watchers to avoid gaining 50+ pounds. That is the one place that does promote good health, allow you to eat anything you want (just smaller portions) and it really has worked for me. Other women who have had to take the meds I’m on have gained a lot of weight, butI still weigh what I did when I was in treatment. I haven’t had to give up my ice cream or potato chips either (and that is the best part).

Jcc21, Yes, I have a small structure, but at the time I got my first cancer, which was uterine cancer, I was into reasonable bodybuilding from my martial arts, not the gross body buildng to have an abnormal body. I dated male body builders, and I am a 5th degree black belt, and a weapons master, but I wanted to be feminine, not gross, and even then I was the same size. When I stopped all that, after cancer #1, I still always had muscle, but went down just a few lbs. To gain weight makes me feel ill, so I can’t imagine that it is different for people who gain more than just a few lbs. I agree that to be thin is not always to be healthy as well. It depends on the individual, not on a chart. This government is trying to define each person by a chart. They need to be put back in their place, which is to simply to defend this country from terrorists,not from salt or transfat. Michelle needs to look in the mirror. She’s rather frightening.

Lindz, God Bless you. I know it isn’t easy. I hope you’re ok now. mine were “curable” after the H.E. double hockey sticks. My Father has had stage 4 colon cancer which grew onto his liver and burst his colon. He survived 13 years, he has since had prostate, numerous skin cancers, thyroid, parathyroid, and something else, oh numerous nodules on his kidneys. Cancer is our Bee-otch. Is it not? Thank the VA, and the American medical system as we knew it.

Puddleglum, yup curves ARE good, but I have them at size 1-3. Some men just like fat, not “curves”. Tutti i gusti san gusti!

Bless you too Mrs L, and I’m glad you’ve been “cured” as well. I’m doing fine (except for the occasional scare) and I’m still taking ballet classes at 62. I lost my father to pancreatic cancer – he only lasted 5 weeks after they finally diagnosed him. Your dad sounds like a real tough fighter – Go Dad!!