Guess what? I had dinner today. AND I ENJOYED IT. SO THERE.

No, seriously. I’m 5′2″, I have no idea what I weigh (the last time I weighed myself was over seven years ago, and I think I was about 100kg then, so about 220lb-ish) and I wear clothes which are Australian size 22 – 24 (generally 24). But the general body shape is similar, and the shot of you in your underwear looks a lot like I do in mine. I have a partner (of 10 years now) who tells me that my body type is “boofuls” (suits me!).

When I tell people I’m size 24, I’ve had them say I must be wrong (which generally earns them a Look – I have this Thing about being told I’m wrong when I know I’m Right). I’m told I carry my weight well, which presumably means I look thinner than I wind up weighing. I just figure it’s the result of generations of peasant ancestors – I store fat well, I lose it reluctantly, and I spent ten years dieting, which educated my metabolism that I’m in an area with permanent famines (and knocked my thyroid out of whack to boot). I’m solid, I’m strong for my size and lack of fitness, and I’m gifted with a fair amount of endurance. I figure I have the genes to carry the weight… and even if I don’t, I’ve had three grandparents survive past ninety. I think I’m likely to get a pretty good innings, provided I’m careful doing things like crossing the street, and steering clear of weight loss centres.

Big pharma profits off convincing people fat is dangerous.

Big pharma profits off convincing people second hand smoke is dangerous.

Follow the money and the money behind tobacco cessation interests — they’re the same ones selling weight loss.

I do not find smokers repugnant; I am one. I find tobacco companies repugnant, and smoking kind of gross in theory, except for the part where I do it about 20 times a day.

As I said in response to you at Shakes, if even half of what we’re told about smoking is true, the negative health effects are still orders of magnitude greater than the negative effects of fat. That was the point of this post.

I’m also aware that “second-hand smoke is deadly” is almost certainly overstating the matter — hence my choice of “not complete bullshit” vs. “not bullshit” — but when we’re talking about hurting people I love, ANY risk is not really okay with me. Nor is triggering other people’s asthma and allergies, making colds worse, etc., for that matter.

And really, for as much of a skeptic as I am, I have trouble buying that there’s a parallel here in terms of reporting about the health risks. It’s a cui bono? thing. Tobacco companies profit if you convince people that smoking’s not dangerous. Weight loss companies and big pharma profit if you convince people that fat IS dangerous. See the difference there?

I completely agree that the war on smoking is exactly where the war on fat is going, and I’ve written about that before. It disturbs the hell out of me. From a civil liberties standpoint, things like cities banning smoking in cars scares me.

But it all comes down to this: I don’t smoke because I feel like it. It is the OPPOSITE of a personal freedom issue. I smoke because I am an addict. I smoke because I feel like I cannot stop. I smoke because when I try to quit, I end up crying in a heap on the floor, unable to function in my daily life. I smoke because I am, for all intents and purposes, not free to choose; when I try to quit, merely keeping my head above water becomes a full-time job.

And there are big corporations profiting from my lack of personal freedom and bodily autonomy. That pisses me right off, and THAT is why I have no interest in your movement.