[Brandye]

Fair enough, carbheat. I have no idea why your wife was obese at age 2. It could have been endocrine or it could have been poor diet but that had little to do with her self-image at 2 yo.

Old-timers here have seen my rants on weight. I am a bit of a health nut and react strongly to those who do not keep their weight within reasonable limits. Insurance companies and the UN demographers have revised their projections because of the obesity issues in Europe. Some have called it a worse health crisis than smoking in the last century.

Most adults, and I assuming that the woman described is such, are aware of the risks of obesity. Anyone who chooses to live with shortened life expectancy, increased morbidity and decreased quality of life for a very controllable condition cannot have respect for themselves or, even, life. The effects become most noticeable at about thirty pounds over the "ideal" weights given on many sites.

When it takes a nurse and me to get a swab into a woman's vagina, it is not likely that man will get his penis in there. The layers of fat keep the entroitus well hidden. I lost a patient last Sunday night. She had a leaking abdomenal aneurysm and I judged that she could not wait for the helicopter. I am convinced we could have saved her if she had weight two-hundred pounds less. In fact, we would likely have not needed to have been operating. I will defend my decision at a Mortality and Morbidity Hearing this week.

I am a bit pleased to have upset you and I am glad that you and your wife have learned to adapt. Enjoy while you can because those hundred excess pounds are taking their toll.