[greymule]

increasing overweight/obese population in the US

I am a medical editor, and much of the work I do involves prevention and treatment of obesity. And the problem affects us all. For example, the federal government pays out billions in Medicaid annually for treatment of diabetes and its many complications. The epidemic of obesity has turned diabetes from a relatively rare condition into a very common one.

Incidentally, from across the pond:

A woman struck by a car while standing on a sidewalk on a sidewalk in northern England ran afoul of police when she described the errant driver as "fat." "I was given a frosty look and told I could have [used the term] lardy, porky, or podgy," said Mary Magilton, 54. A police spokesman cited a firm policy of "appropriate language" in police reports.

Next time someone says the pitcher threw a "fat" pitch, I'm going issue a warning and suggest alternative terms. Second offense, I'll call the PC police.

I remember editing a police report years ago in which the officer had written: "One lady smashed a chair over my back, and another lady came at me with a broken beer bottle."

Yes, and "we found the gentleman lying in the gutter outside a bar."