Corporate Enablers

Americans are fat. I know from personal experience that obesity among urban Chinese, even urban Thais, is understated, but American supremacy in this field remains unchallenged.

Consider my trip last year to Six Flags New England: I noticed that the last one or two rows of most of the roller coasters were permanently roped off. Why? Because the coaster industry is dominated by European manufacturers -- like Intamin (Ride of Steel, Kingda Ka) and Bolliger & Mabillard (The Dark Knight) -- who are accustomed to designing rides for wine-and-cheese types. Loading one of these coasters full of "average" Americans is to risk exceeding their maximum allowable weight.

Not that I'm any better than average. I've gained 15 pounds since last summer, mostly during the holiday season. I'm just starting to shed the weight now that I've stopped gorging on Christmas cookies. But my point is that, at 6'4" and pushing 220 pounds, I consider myself extra-large, at least. I recently went shopping for a pair of running pants. I found a real bargain at Old Navy, but was amazed that their XL would better serve me as a sleeping bag. Even the large was a bit large. I would have gone with medium but they were just a tad -- and only a tad -- short. Medium?! I haven't worn a medium anything since elementary school.

Where am I going with this? I'm not sure, but something's afoot. The sock manufacturers are involved somehow too. I bought a 3-pack of socks designed to fit sizes 6 to 12; stretched over my 13s, they still reach to just below my knees.

And while I'm on the subject (whatever that subject might be), I am appalled by rumblings that suggest class-action suits might be filed against fast food companies by obese patrons in the way that smokers have targetted the tobacco companies. Corporate fraud and deception should be prosecuted, of course, but if I'm hungry and the health risks are a matter of public record, then I want the freedom to buy, or for that matter to sell, 46 grams of fat. In a sub roll. For breakfast.

BTW, I'm still more than a little proud of myself for making that Six Flags trip. I was luggage after five rides, but we're talking about a quality-over-quantity proposition. Have you ever been on a modern coaster? Insanity.