Obesity and Denial

Chris DeAngelo, a good friend of mine, once frowned at me for suggesting that he should suspend his school registration at the New Jersey Institute of Technology until he could get his body weight under control. Chris was already shooting over the 500 pounds. His breakfast consisted of two feet of Subway sandwiches loaded with every ingredient of Subway's menu. Chris's mom was a real Greek woman, filling Chris' tummy with plenty of sweet, cakes, and bakery. His dad was a heavy smoker, weighing barely 110 pounds.

At the age of 21, Chris could not fit in his tiny VW Golf. His weight was increasing faster than a growing newborn. After a fall and broken ankle, Chris still could not connect the two; his bodyweight and the bone fracture. He was a good software engineer, whose dream was to join the CIA after graduation. But, on graduation with a bachelor in engineering, Chris could barely walk or stay awake. His legs turned pink and black as he started skipping on showering and personal hygiene. Paradoxically, Chris was obsessed with planning and investing in securing his future after retirement. That was forty years down the road. On three occasions, Chris promised to join me in the Gym in order to deal with his overweight dilemma. He never made it. His excuse was lack of energy to get as far as the gym. He must stay close to the kitchen and the toilet. The only two places in the center of addiction to food.

Chris departed my life, yet another fellow with worse situation took his place. Joe Holbrook, a Jewish Russian friend who happened to get addicted to Vodka and good food. Holbrook weighed 550 pounds at the age of 65. He never slept in his bed for fifteen years. Sitting in his coach while watch the TV, 24 hours nonstop, was the only way for him to rest. Holbrook never even tied his shoes since his large belly has stood between him and his feet for many years. Holbrook's body profile was already shaped to his coach for as long as his close associates have known him. My suggestion to him for seeking immediate medical attention has never been received with any sign of comfort. Two major concerns were Holbrook's immediate reply. First, he has great and immediate attachment to a friend who drinks with him daily. Any disruption to such social setting was not tolerated by Holbrook. Second, he was ten years away from retirement with full pension. His fear of losing his job if he was to go for surgery was a more rational concern. Holbrook died at the age of 71 without benefiting from any pension. He had already surpassed the 600 pound mark.

But, top Olympic lifters are not an exemption from the perils of overweight either. The waistline to shoulder-width ratio of this weightlifter does not confer any health benefit despite his Olympic status. In fact, being extremely heavy afforded him the brief window of winning the Olympic medal when no sane person would risk his health for the sake of fake fame.

 In contrast, this lifter from the 1967 era, with very slim waistline and wide shoulders, has the greatest health benefits of breathing better and maintaining great muscle strength in proportion to his bodyweight. 

Similarly, Dimas Pyrros, represent the modern generation of top performance in weightlifting. With very slim waistline, great shoulder width and chubby quads, Dimas made history in the most formidable class of 83 kg.
   

Dogs are closer to top Olympic athletes as far as their waistline-to-shoulder width goes. Nature equipped that dog with the grace of agility and the aesthetic of motion. 

Even a clumsy dog could maintain such golden ratio between the shoulders and the waist.

Unmistakably, the slim waistline and wide chest make dogs jump with such great ease with the slightest fear. All the dog needs is to have large lungs and strong heart that could pump great amounts of blood and oxygen to his thighs. The strong abdominal muscles amplify the heart pumping and give the dog the extra energy boost needed to jump strong, high, and fast.