For whatever reasons, the overweight, fat and obese who can not control their food intakes are not interested in counting calories. Those of us who choose to maintain healthy weights and prefer not to waddle around in plus sizes with our bellies hanging over our belts, appreciate having calories printed on menus as it enables us to quickly calculate an acceptable caloric intake. ************ My husband (a well-muscled 6'4"/205 lbs.) and I (5'10"/140 lbs.) eat almost any foods we desire, but always in moderation as we count calories. And yes, it also helps that we run (that's run, not jog) five miles each morning at an altitude of 6,200 feet (weather permitting) and do 45 minutes of strength exercises three days each week. The last time either of us (both in our sixties) was admitted to a hospital occurred five years ago when I was thrown from a horse and broke a leg. ************ A healthy lifestyle contributes immensely to the enjoyment of life.

The falacy of over-weight=unhealthy and low-weight=healthy is totally idiotic. Yes there are some people who are overweight and need to drop some weight, but the generalized condemnation of people merely because they do not fit an arbitrary standard is just plain dumb and prejudicial. I joined the Army at age 18 and serve 22 years in Combat Arms as a Cavalry Scout. I was in very good shape, having played on football and wrestling teams in High school. But as age and wear came, so did a slowing in abilities. I retired at age 40, with bad knees and back, and osteo arthritis due to the wear and tear of duty in the Army. I have seen many people in my life who are of lean body mass (<10%), going in for heart bypass surgery due to heredetary conditions, or men who fit the lean "recruiting poster" image, but who could not pass an APFT, so I do not buy into the lie that "thin" means "fit", or "healthy". During my career in the Army, I ate right and excerised more than the average soldier, but all that was for naught, because due to the arbitrary standard of the Army, even though I was well below the 24% authorized bodyfat limit, I was "overweight", ans subject to routine demands for bodyfat testing and criticism and threats of removal from service from seniors for not meeting the Ht/Wt scales even thought I met the standards for body mass. That beratement from others was one of the reasons I elected to retire at 40 after 22 years and not to resume military service to the allowed 30 years. At 44 I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. I have never in my life engaged in "risky" behavior, smoking, drugs, etc. Yet I still got cancer. My Oncologyst says that the only known causes of this type of cancer are exposure to benzine and/or radiation. The only sources of either of these had come from my military service. Yet the government says that since I didn't have the cancer when I retired, they are not responsible. At age 52, I am still retired. I do not run every day, military activities destroyed both of my knees and back to a point where even walking is painful. But at one time in my life I was able to do 80 push-ups in 2 minutes, 80 sit-ups in 2 minutes, and run 2 miles in 11.5 minutes, good enough to score a maximum number of points on the Army Physical Fitness Test. I was 5' 10", 190lbs and 11% body fat, yet with all that physical ability, by an arbitrary standard I was "overweight". I do not need to have calories printed on food to know what to eat nor do I need a government bureaucrat dictating behavior to tell me to shed a few pounds now and then. If Obamacare becomes law, I have already seen why Congress has exempted themselves and it is not because they have a legal mandated health care system for Congress, but rather if they were placed into the same system many invision for the masses, they could not survive do to so many Congress persons being among the severely overweight.

Each of us can cite a personal experience or, anecdotaly, the experience of someone else, that is contrary to the "rule." But specific, individual experiences can not be generalized as valid for an entire population. *********** In this case, there is overwhelming clinical and statistical evidence from government agencies, universities, hospitals, the health insurance industry and the pharmaceutical industry that being overweight is unhealthy and being obese is extremely unhealthy. Not only in this country, but around the world. ************ Other than what she has posted on the WT, I know nothing about Ms./Mrs Delacruz, above. But I have an idea that her lifestyle is much healthier and far superior to those who are overweight, especially those who are obese. And I suspect that those who know they should moderate their food intake, but fail to do so, are suffering from some kind of personality disorder. Much like those who feel sorry for themselves and compensate by overeating.