You are so right! But the keeping it off is a lot harder than getting it off.

It has to be a lifetime project that you can never let go. Depressing but true.

And as you lose, your calorie count per day has to go down, too. Double depressing. The good news is – as you progress and get to a normal size, food is not as important to you as before.

There was not one case of obesity found in concentration camps after WWII. All the glandular or genetic disorders must have been miraculously cured.

Do not tell me obese people cannot get themselves to a healthy weight. It is done all the time if it becomes important enough to the person.

It’s just like quitting smoking. You do it if you really want to. Nothing in the world works against nicotine except the desire to quit. And it’s the same with eating too much of the wrong food.

Go to any restaurant in Malta and have a look at the size of plates; worse are the buffets.

The fatter the person, the fuller the plate. The Maltese in general judge a restaurant not by the quality but the quantity. “Dak ghandu ikel tajjeb ta, ghax jimlijlek il-platt.”

We can’t blame being obese on our genes, that’s just a small fraction.

Most of my ancestors were fat, perhaps because they were poor and lived mostly on bread, but that gives me no excuse. I exercise every day and watch what I eat to maintain my petite size 8, and yes that requires some self control.

Neither. It was Grima who ate both.

Over 30 years of working experience has taught me that a person’s shape or size is no guarantee for efficiency or otherwise.

Unfortunately for some, even a pastizz is one too many. I am in daily contact with people who can stay slim and trim despite their laid back lifestyle, while others have to work very hard to retain an acceptable weight.

Since you seem so keen in labelling people, how should we label you?

Curious, I am not generalizing when I say that I don’t hire obese people, in fact I am being very specific because I have to be if I want to survive in my business for the benefit of myself and my family and my employees.
This is not because I have some inner hate for obese people, as I am sure their life is not a bed of roses, sans the thorns.

I spoke as an owner of a business firm with very specific needs as far as manpower is concerned and obesity is very much a visual marker of an un-healthy body with no argument about that, ask any medical doctor.

The possibility of an unhealthy mind could also be there, as there is an emotional and addictive component to over-eating to compensate for other inadequacies or losses in life and over-eating is their chosen soothing balm.

This is only conjecture on my part, to be proved true or false in the future I am sure, but that won’t happen, as obese people do not make the first grade for a job at my business on physical incompatibly for the job description alone.

My job as an employer is to hire the right person for the right job that I have to offer and not to be their psychiatrist or to take on desperate cases on a charity basis.

Welcome to the real world.

Generalisation are useful. Indeed, they are necessary when you deal with large numbers, such as entire populations when you’re making policy.

The Maltese are the fattest nation in Europe, and obese means unhealthy and less productive. That’s a very useful generalisation and it’s also very true.

I am sorry but the discussion turned to some people saying bad things about obese people. I am obese and it hurts to see such comments which are unfortunately used by quite a number of people.

Not all obese people stuff their face with food. Some of us out here are trying hard to overcome the situation which is affected by medical problems, but the process is slow. Lucky you who do not have problems but please do not hurt other people.

ken il malti – I have just read your comment in answer to Baxxter where you courteously gave details about your line work.

That changes the whole scenario and I will go as far as to tell you that given the job description one would be insane to apply if he is obese.

As I said before, your very first comment was misleading.