Addict

"The greasy fry/ It cannot lie/ Its mark is left/ Upon her thigh." - Quinn Morgendorffer

Yes, I knew this day was coming. It shouldn't be a big surprise to anyone that the junk food most of us have indulged in at one time or another has actually shown to trigger an addiction as strong as being addicted to cocaine or heroin (see the CNN article link). I guess it will only be a matter of time before I'm standing before a group doing this, so I might as well practice now.

"Hello, my name is Jennifer, and I'm a fatoholic. It has been (looks at watch) two hours since my last fatty indulgence. I know I could have/should have just ordered the egg biscuit without the bacon and cheese, but dang it, everything's better with bacon! I even have a t-shirt that says so!"

I don't say these things lightly, as I have battled the bulge most of my life. The trouble with being a fatoholic is that our drug of choice is not only legal, but cheap, even used as centerpieces during holidays and special occasions. But we feel the shame the moment we have to hit the dressing rooms, the poolsides or whenever we get a glimpse of some knockout airbrushed body on a magazine cover.

But I also take some heart in this revelation, because it explains a lot. For so long, overeating was just blown off by many as having no willpower or self-control. Kind of like telling a drug addict to, "Just say no," or saying, "Just cheer up," to a manic depressant. Granted it's not an excuse to condone any pigouts, but maybe a little better understanding will help lead to better (and not bigger) things.