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"``We're just too darn fat, ladies and gentlemen, and we're going to do something about it,'' Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said Tuesday at a news conference."

Two things to point out:

1--every citizen has the right to eat as much food as they can purchase, to be as fat as they desire. (Amendment IX: The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.")

2--I would rather die of obesity and a satisfied stomach than skin and bones, starving to death.

1--every citizen has the right to eat as much food as they can purchase, to be as fat as they desire. (Amendment IX: The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."

Since when has the Constitution got in the way of the gov't controlling what they want to control?

But it doesn't have to be one extreme or the other. There is a happy medium (as I have discovered after spending my teenage years starving and puking) that involves healthy eating and exercising and enjoying everything in moderation. For example, most of my meals consist of grilled seafood or vegetarian selections. Tonight, however, I treated myself to a fried oyster plate with hush puppies. I eat fried food about once every three or four months.

And of course everyone has the right to eat as much as they desire. However, it is incredible how ignorant some people are as far as nutrition goes. You would think that people would care about what was entering their body.

1--every citizen has the right to eat as much food as they can purchase, to be as fat as they desire. (Amendment IX: The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.")

I think you're looking in the wrong direction. This is a "commerce clause" issue, which provides the basis for federal interference -- I mean involvement -- with transportation and enery production and supply. Fat people consume more petro than proportionate sized people. Why? They tend to drive, rather than walk, the block and a half to Dunkin Donuts; the extra weight results in lower fuel efficiency when they drive; and they reduce the capacity of airplanes resulting in more flights to move the fatties than the non-fatties.

I would rather die of obesity and a satisfied stomach than skin and bones, starving to death.

So would I. But speaking as one who was obese for many years, being obese is no fun either. I finally conquered my obesity through a regular exercise program (mostly walking) and controlling my portions (and eliminating entirely carb-laden convenience foods).

I'm not for nanny government or any kind of government intervention. But it is true that America is just too damn fat. I consider myself very fortunate that I am one of the few who was able to break out of the "overeating and underexercising" rut that I was in. Not many can and for those people, more serious health problems often develop such as Type II diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, etc.

While I do not support a big-government solution to the problem, the fact is that the aforementioned health conditions are costing us many billions of dollars a year and are driving up health care costs for everybody. I must say that I have some resentment subsidizing health care for all those who do not take care of themselves. I only see a doctor once every couple of years for a physical and the only prescription in my adult life was a two-week antibiotic for a sinus infection I had back in 1995. But nearly every overweight person I know sees doctors constantly and are on pills for this and that for pretty much the rest of their lives. Furthermore, they are always feeling tired and miserable and have all sorts of aches and pains. These are people my age too. Now that's no way to livej and seeing them is what motivated me to take my excess weight off before it was too late for me.

Having taken off about 100 pounds, I feel like an entirely new person. Tons of energy and a whole new outlook on life. Just little things like being able to tie my shoes without sitting down or being able to get out of a chair without having to use my arms to push myself up, make me really appreciate my new lifestyle.