Fight against the Roll Take Over
Makenzi Maynes
English 2010 – Kati Lewis
Final Project
Contents:
Intro… 1
Editors Note…2
Thunder Thighs and Double chins…
Obesity in America…
Average Joe On the Move…
Big Fat Giant and the Monkey Bars of Shame…
Works Cited…
1
About Fight against the Roll take
Over:
Fight against the Roll take over is a
magazine designed to fight against obesity. Just
like the fight against tobacco, we are here to
educate Americans on how unhealthy and
dangerous it can be to be overweight or obese.
It is stereotyped that most people who are
overweight are lazy and just don’t care about
their bodies. This is not true, as are most
stereotypes are not true. However there is
some underlying truth to each and every
stereotype. The underlying truth to overweight
people is not that they are lazy; it is that they
are uneducated on how to stay healthy. This
magazine will provide helpful information to
people who may be overweight or obese and
need some help getting healthy again.
Editors Note:
My whole life I have been tall. In
elementary I was a "giant" as the boys had
called me. I towered over every student in
the student body and many teachers. Thanks to
my “great height” there were many times as a
child that I was isolated from other kids because
I was out of the “norm” of how a kid should
really be. Size DOES matter and people DO
judge you by your appearance. People might try
and say that they don’t matter, but it has been
proven time and time again by people getting
rejected by peers or coworkers just because
they are “different or bigger”. For me I was
lucky and, I wouldn’t say that my size difference
has taken an extreme toll on me or made me
bitter about life, but it has definitely changed
the way I look at other people. I don’t look at
other people who are "bigger" and see them as
a big fatso, or a giant. I see them as someone
who was blessed with bigger genes and has
more to work with. They also have to work
harder to fit the “norms” of society. Whether or
not they want to join the cookie cutter club is
their choice, however no one should chose to
be unhealthy there is nothing benefitting to
being unhealthy.
While reading upon this magazine you
will find errors. It wasn’t written by say, the
dean of Harvard or even the sharpest crayon in
the box of Salt Lake Community College’s
crayons. It was written by me, Makenzi Maynes
and I have a long way to go in becoming what
you would even consider to be a decent writer.
However I have put a lot of time and research
into this magazine and I would say that thanks
to revision it has come a long way from where it
started. It will be easy to see my progress in the
semester, starting with my “suckest” paper
then ending with fairly good paper. I really
struggled with my report but after that road
bump, things began to ease up as I learned new
writing techniques.
I have learned many new rules, and
tricks as to how to become a better writer, I
hope this magazine can prove my point. I have
learned how to adapt my writing to fit different
2
kinds of genres. Before this class the only way I
knew to write was what I had learned in high
school, the three point thesis. This type of
writing is typically used for writing essays. I now
know that this type of writing does not always
benefit you as a writer depending on what
genre you are writing.
I have also learned how to form a
successful argument, not only with my
boyfriend or parents but as well as in writing.
Each situation in life and each paper you are
writing has a different point to be made. You
always need to adapt and critically respond to
either the genre for which you are writing or
whatever argument you may be having with
whoever it may be.
I have always been one to complain
about classes where you are spending so much
time on things you will never use again outside
of the class. I have enjoyed learning not only
about writing but about the politics and current
events of which I normally would have never
even cared to read about. Writing not only
teaches you how to actually write effectively
but it teaches you how to be a better
communicator which is very important to being
successful in life.
3
Thunder thighs and Double chins
Obesity is a growing epidemic, in the
1970’s- 1980’s only 15% of the American
population was obese. Now, obesity has more
than doubled. According to the Centers for
Disease control and Prevention, as of 2009 over
50% of our states are obese. Of these states
most have, 25% or higher body fat. It is
troubling as to why so many Americas are
gaining so much weight. There are many factors
that make someone obese. Some of these
factors include our current culture, the
economic problems of it being hard to afford
healthy food, diet pills, unhealthy eating habits
and sedentary lifestyles. For many American’s it
is a combination of these factors that is making
them obese. However for the obesity epidemic
to be stopped, each individual factor needs to
be looked at and changed. Once each aspect is
altered to a healthier state deaths will be
prevented.
Diet Drugs
America has a growing obsession with
weight loss. Whether you turn on the television,
computer or even talk with your friends, at
some point in the day you will be bombarded
with advertisements for weight loss. The
Weight loss industry is a billion dollar industry.
(Campos 8) Everyday a new drug will come out
with some new and improved secret ingredient
that is the “key” to losing weight. Although
many of these weight loss diets and pills work,
most are causing more harm than they are
helping. The biggest reason obesity is a
problem, is because of all of the diseases that
4
are formed because of unhealthy weight,
the weight and once they are satisfied or
unhealthy weight gain or unhealthy weight loss.
finished with the diet, go back to their
These diets are made to help you lose weight
unhealthy previous diet or eating habits. Later
and lose weight fast. When your body loses
gaining the weight back in the yo-yo affects
weight fast in very short periods of time, it is
which causes these diseases’ to form because of
very unhealthy and hard for your body to adapt.
the ups and downs of their weight. The Center
There have been many diet drugs that have
for Disease Control warns that overweight and
caused serious problems just because of the
obese people are [already] at risk for congestive
ingredients in the drugs. One example was
heart failure, coronary heart disease, diabetes,
shown in a study done by Yale University in
high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea
1999, women between the ages of eighteen
and other respiratory problems, and some
and forty nine that have taken appetite
cancers. Not only are these overweight and
suppressants containing phenylpropanolamine
obese citizens already at risk for disease just by
[a drug also used by vets to control animals’
being overweight, they are also adding to the
urinary issues] faced an increased risk for
problem by trying to lose weight the quick and
hemorrhagic
“easy” way by dieting with appetite
stroke
of
1,558%.
Products
containing phenylpropanolamine were later
suppressants and diet pills.
taken off the market by the FDA but the harm
had already been done. This is just one example
of
many
diet
drugs
that
have
caused
severelyharmful problems to users.
Another issue that American’s are
dealing with because of these diets is a yo-yo
affect in their weight. They start the diet, lose
5
Fast Food
Where does this problem start? Why
are people becoming overweight and obese?
The problem begins with the initial diet. More
and more people are having less and less time
to plan out their meals or even eat. Parents are
rushing to the drive through and feeding their
children with the quickest and easiest meal
The fast food industry has taken over
possible to save time in their busy schedule. So
America. It began with little hot dog stands at
where is the root of the problem? In Morgan
ball parks and has now evolved to every single
Spurlock’s film Super Size me he states that “Up
corner in America. In the novel Fast Food
until around the late 1980’s it was very
Nation by Eric Schlosser he explains how the
uncommon to go out to eat unless it was a
fast food industry has taken over American’s
special occasion..Americans’ currently eat out
diets. In 2001 alone, Americans spent more
all the time and they are paying for it, in their
than 110 billion dollars on fast food. This is
waist lines”. Since the 1980’s times have
more than was spent on higher education,
changed. Families have changed. Schedules
personal computers, computer software, or
have become so busy and so overbooked;
new cars. (3) Americans have gotten used to the
mothers have no time to plan and prepare a sit
easy access of fast food. Busy schedules have
down meal for the family. In many cases fast
made buying fast food routine. Whenever there
food is the quickest and easiest thing to eat and
is a loss of time or it is just plain being lazy, the
American’s are resorting to it.
simple solution is right around the corner. In
many cases the “right around the corner
solution” has golden arches, McDonalds. It is
6
estimated that every one in eight workers in the
incorrect. Exercise and eating healthy are like,
United States has at some point been employed
guns and ammo. If you only have a gun and no
by McDonalds. In 1968 McDonalds [only]
ammo it’s pointless, unless the only intention is
operated about one thousand restaurants.
to whack someone over the head with it. The
Today McDonalds has about thirty thousand
same is with exercise and healthy eating. Many
restaurants worldwide. (Schlosser 4) In studies
Americans are only trying to eat healthy, or
shown it has been proven that 96% of
doing short term diets. The problem you see
schoolchildren can identify Ronald McDonald.
with eating healthy and these “miracle diets” is
Why is all this important? It is pretty hard to
the yo-yo affect in your weight. It has been
overstate McDonald’s impact on our society.
proven by millions of dieters, you can lose
With a McDonalds located in just about any
weight by only eating healthy; but as soon as
direction, it is easy to see why American’s are
you go back to your old eating habits or end the
eating so much fast food.
diet the weight will eventually be put back on.
Exercise
Just like whacking someone over the head with
your gun, yes it may knock them out
The lack of exercise is another huge
factor in obesity. Our society has been
overtaken by a fast pace; it is hard for
American’s to have time for exercise, let alone
eat a healthy meal. Studies have shown that
60% of Americans do not have a regular form of
exercise, or exercise at all. The common
misconception with weight loss is that you can
lose weight healthily without exercise. This is
temporarily but eventually the victim will be
back for revenge. When you combine exercise
and healthy eating your body will slowly start
shedding off the pounds due to its natural
process of burning fat. “Physical activity tends
to decrease appetite in obese individuals while
increasing the body’s ability to preferentially
metabolize fat as an energy source” (“Obesity”
pr. 9). To successfully put the ammo in the gun,
7
American’s need to incorporate some sort of
physical activity into their daily regimen.
Something to be done
As a whole, there are many factors that
are contributing to obesity in America. Whether
it be diet pills, terrible eating habits or
nonexistent physical activity the fact remains
American’s are still putting on the pounds.
Something must be done to stop the problem.
Although there are many efforts and
organizations informing Americans of the
growing problem, obesity is still occurring and
Obesity in America: Why so fat?
Imagine one out of three people you
know are dying. This may sound extreme but,
there is a point to be made. Before
organizations such as Fight Against Tobacco,
and Anti-smoking took a stand on smoking,
smoking was rated number one for preventable
death in America with obesity in second.
Currently the numbers for deaths related to
smoking are decreasing dramatically and the
numbers for death related to obesity are on a
rapid incline. Thanks to all the hard work and
education done by these organizations, citizens
are now educated on how dangerous smoking
consequently more and more people are dying.
actually is. The same effort needs to be done to
fight against obesity. Citizens need to be
8
educated on obesity. It is important to know
and realize how harmful it is to your health to
be obese. In Morgan Spurlock’s documentary,
Super Size Me he states that over the past three
decades obesity has doubled in children and
tripled in adults. If we are not proactive about
geographically takes a big part in your way of
the problem of obesity it will only increase and
life because the people, food and the
more people will develop the diseases related
environment are what you learn and develop
to obesity which are deadly. There was a time
habits from. Religion, schooling and family are
when it was accepted culturally to smoke; now
all big contributors to your culture.
it is frowned upon because so many people
know how dangerous it is to your health. Our
Culture needs to be changed once again.
Citizens need to be educated so they know
what is making them obese and how to make
the simple changes in their lifestyles to become
healthy.
Humans require food to survive, and
because of this need for survival religions have
formed days for feast and days for fast which is
another big part of our culture. The Greek
Orthodox church is a great example of this,
seven weeks before Easter Sunday the
members have a fast from foods that contain
There are many contributors to the rise
in obesity such as unhealthy dieting, fast food,
and a lack of exercise. However, if each
individual issue were to be broken down it
would be clear that they all begin with culture.
Culture is the beliefs and characteristics
developed as a child. Where you grow up
animals with red blood (meats) and products
from animals with red blood (milk, cheese, eggs,
etc.), and fish and seafood with backbones.
They are also not allowed to have olive oil or
wine. This fast from food is what the Greeks say
is the most sacred part of their religion because
it helps them accept the resurrection at Easter.
9
At the end of the fast they have the most
eating so they would be aware of the effects of
celebrated day which breaks the fast and
both. Although the members are not binging or
according to an active member Eleni Saltas,
over eating intentionally, they still need to be
“[they] can then eat anything and everything
educated so they can avoid being overweight or
they want!” Although this may be a sacred
obese. It is important to realize when to stop
ritual for their religion it is not exactly the
eating by listening to your body. Education will
healthiest. When you eat less food or fast in this
be one of the biggest factors in fighting obesity,
case, your metabolism slows down to save
although religion is a way of life for many
energy. So during your fast you may lose
people and it defines them there are ways of
weight, but as soon as you go back to your
improvising.
regular diet you gain weight. The reason you
gain weight is because your metabolism has
slowed down and you are now eating more
than it is used to. According to WebMd.com,
“[once you end your fast] your appetite
hormones will kick back into gear and you may
actually feel hungrier and be more likely to
binge.” Binging is never healthy even after you
have fasted for seven weeks.
Just like the Greek’s, it is hard for most
people to have a healthy life style because food
is culture. It is the way they live their life. If you
require them to eat healthy and have an
exercise routine it completely changes their
lifestyle. Many doctors would say a lifestyle
change for and obese person is a good thing as
long as you are improving your health, many
religions and organizations would say that there
The Greek Orthodox Church is just one
is just no way to change. Beyond merely
example of many religions that believe in fasts.
nourishing the body, what we eat and with
In their case it would be beneficial to the
whom we eat can inspire and strengthen the
members to have classes on fasting and binge
10
bonds between individuals, communities, and
around a certain meal or feast.
even countries. (Pbs, par. 1).
Times Change
It would be hard to imagine any holiday
revolving around something besides a meal.
Our culture has changed to such a fast
Thanksgiving is a perfect example and it
paced society many people don’t even have
explains why food is such a big part of our
time to sit down and have dinner as a family.
culture. After the Wampanoag Indians helped
We rely so much on the “quick and easy meal”
the Plymouth colonists survive the first terrible
that we very rarely consider if what is being
months in North America “the Plymouth
shoved into our mouth at the speed of light is
colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an
actually healthy for us. Thirty years ago, most
autumn harvest feast.” (Thanksgiving at
families ate at home for practically every meal.
Plymouth” par. 1) By cooking a meal for others
If the family was ever to go out to eat it was a
you are showing your thanks and appreciation
special occasion. Currently most people will eat
by giving up some of what you have earned.
out two out of three of their meals. (Spurlock)
The colonists shared this meal with the Indians
These unhealthy eating habits and the lack of
to show their appreciation for all the help the
exercise is the source of all this unhealthy
Indians had given them. This basic principle is
weight gain.
still in our culture today. Think of gatherings
you may have, most if not all of these
gatherings will have food there or revolve
According to the First Lady Michelle
Obama, 8 to 18-year old adolescents spend an
average of 7.5 hours a day using entertainment
media, including, TV, computers, video games,
cell phones and movies, and only one-third of
high school students get the recommended
11
The most physical activity these people are
getting is walking to and from their car. It may
not be possible to change the way things are
done at a job but it is possible to change life
outside of work.
There are many ways to solve the
levels of physical activity. Kids today, have a
growing problem of obesity. One solution
ride of some sort to and from school. A couple
would be that the government would offer
decades ago, most kids used to walk to and
incentives to gyms so they would offer free
from school and after school many kids would
classes on nutrition and exercise. One of the
be enrolled in sports or active activities of some
biggest reasons people are not exercising is
sort out side of school. Today, many teens will
because they are not educated on what
come home from school and play video games
exercise is best for them or even how to do that
or some form of media that involves zero
exercise. They also do not know what is healthy
physical activity. Many of the same problems
and unhealthy and how to eat in moderation.
are occurring with adults’ busy schedules.
The gyms could offer temporary memberships
According to the Centers for Disease control
to the community. Whether the people be
and prevention, 25% of Americans are not
obese, overweight, underweight there would be
physically active at all (qtd. in Obesity di. Par. 4).
no restriction it would just be mandatory to
By having such busy schedules, many people
stay with the class for the time period you are in
use it as an excuse to not go to the gym or be
the at the gym. Before any work out, the gym
physically active. The average office job relies so
would have educational classes on nutrition and
much on technology like computers and the
how to eat healthy, then they would offer
internet that there are no physical demands.
exercise classes. The exercise classes would
12
teach the people the fun side of exercise. Not
out. Water aerobics is a very easy way to get a
just how to do each work out, but how each
great work out, and if you enjoy being in the
work out is actually fun and how exercising is a
water it is almost as if you are just hanging out
lifestyle not a chore. The gyms would also
at the pool. By changing what we do in our
benefit from this because if the citizens or
spare time to things that are active America will
obese persons make the change in their lives to
begin shedding off the pounds. Religions and
exercise, the first place they will think of to buy
cultural get-togethers do not need to change;
a membership is going to be that gym that
they just need to be modified so that citizens
showed them the new way of life. Every gym is
are not over eating. If they were combining
different and has different machines that work
being active to eating healthy it would improve
different ways. Once you learn how to use
immensely. If we educate ourselves, be active
certain machines and get used to a gym’s set up
and eat healthy we will decrease our obesity
it would be hard to want to change gyms and
numbers and make American a healthier place.
have to learn all new equipment.
Having free classes would be something
fun and exciting! Instead of going home after
work and just watching TV it would be fun to
Average Joe on the Move
“Come on Collin 30 more seconds!! You
can do 30 more seconds; you’ve already done it
a million times! 29.. 28..”
spice it up a bit and learn something new. There
You can hear the short gasps for air, the
is nothing better than to learn how to take
better care of your body. Gyms would show the
community that there is a fun and exciting side
of working out, such as Zumba classes and
uneasy grunts as Collin pulls with everything he
has to just lift his legs.. 25.. 24.. but a few more
times.
swimming. Zumba classes are classes that you
“Atta boy Collin GO! GO!” Anxiously yelling
learn how to dance while getting a great work
Jason, Collin’s trainer.
13
Swiftly rotating around and around,
however, the once arch-enemy was now his
Collin moves “I hate this stupid elliptical and
friend. Today was the day the scale would
this stupid gym and all this stupid crap Jason
release him; it would be his golden ticket to
makes me do.” He could barely breathe, each
finally being able to serve his mission. Quickly
gasp for air felt like his lungs were going to
stepping onto the black platform, Collin
collapse. Today is the day. Today is the day
watched as Jason moved the die-cast over to
Collin has been longing for; for the past year
reveal his weight, click, click, click...
and a half Collin has been chasing this day
hoping that he can finally lose enough weight to
turn in his papers.
“3.. 2.. 1!!!” Ahhh..
Immediate gratification overwhelms
Collin. Stammering off the elliptical he takes
longer and deeper breaths making his way to
the scale. Excitement takes over and he can’t
give into the fatigue just yet, picking up his pace
he finally makes it across the sticky gym floor to
the scale. That dreaded scale!
He had done this so many times before but
today it seemed as if Jason was taking his sweet
precious time. Click…, click…. Finally, the
number he had been waiting for 287! “YES!”
They both proclaimed as Collin collapsed onto
the ground below. This journey had been so
trying and his goals seemed to be so far from
his grasp but he had finally met his bent mark,
287. Collin Johnson is a member of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In his
religion it is believed that every eligible young
man at the age of 19 will serve a 2 year mission
Over the past couple months Collin has
despised the scale and at one point even
loathed the bloody scale because it was the one
thing that had been holding him back from
accomplishing his lifetime goal. Today,
for the church. The purpose of missions is to
spread the gospel of the LDS church. They want
to share their “plan of happiness” to show
people their way of life. The LDS church has
many health requirements the young men must
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meet. One of the requirements is that the
missionaries need to be physically fit in order to
meet the physical demands of missionary work.
The physical demands depend on the mission so
they will vary depending on where Collin will
serve. Once he decided he wanted to go on a
mission he began all of the prep work such as
going to the doctor to get his health checked.
During his health examine Collin had to come to
the harsh reality, he was obese. “Hearing I was
“obese” was one of the hardest things I have
ever heard. I mean, I knew I was big but I
didn’t want to hear the word “obese” that just
sounds terrible, recalled Collin.
This however, wasn’t the first time
Right to left: Collin and his Uncle just a week after he hit his 287 bench
mark.
Collin’s height but the LDS church only requires
he be fit enough to meet the physical demands
of his mission. When interviewing Collin he said
that he has a “long-term goal to weigh 163
Collin had been told he was obese. During
lbs..” This would then put him in the “normal”
Collin’s senior year of high school he was 5’8”
scale for his height and he would no longer be
and weighed 325 lbs. He had 49.5% body fat;
considered obese or over weight. It would take
anything over 30% is considered obese (AARP
a lot of hard work but he was willing to work for
pg. 1). According to his doctor, in order to serve
it.
a mission Collin needs to weigh 272 lbs. 272 lbs
is the weight that will qualify for the minimal
weight loss requirement for Collins height. Now
Losing weight is a long and enduring
process. Collin has been determined to get as
far as he has gotten. He set his goal to lose
272 lbs is still considered to be overweight for
15
weight just after he graduated high school in
he started his next phase of the diet. He then
June of 2009 then as he said so finely, he could
found out he had developed a reflux disorder
“finally get some babes’ and serve his lord by
and later gained 20 lbs back. “Putting the
going on a mission”. That first year he tried to
weight back on was like a slap in the face.”
lose weight on his own by working out
Once this had happened Collin knew he could
whenever he had time and by cutting back
not go back to working on his own and his body
when he could. He would cut back at times
could no longer handle the hCG, he needed
when the food didn’t sound as tasteful or
professional help.
whenever it was convenient. Needless to say he
wasn’t very successful. Collin then resorted to a
diet called hCG. “Human chorionic gonatropin
which is a hormone produced in pregnancy”
(hCG par. 4) A women’s body naturally
produces chorionic gonatropin to lose the
weight they gain after they have a child. Collin
began the hCG diet in the spring of 2010 and
lost 60 lbs in a just a matter of weeks. There
were a few side effects such as painful stomach
cramps, vomiting and indigestion, but because
Collin was referred to a trainer named
Jason Vetter with Custom fit training. “When I
first met Jason he told me this would be the
hardest thing I would ever do but he promised if
I stick with it I would be able to achieve my
goals.” Collins first session with Jason was
nothing but painful, “circuit training is hell”.
Rotating around and around on the elliptical for
just 30 seconds was an eternity for him. Halfway through the session Collin threw up all over
the gym floor.
Collin was so happy with the results he was
seeing he ignored them. There were nights
were Collin would be up all night just sitting in
the bathroom just ready to “lose his cookies”.
As required, he checked with his doctor before
He trained with Jason 3 times a week
through December. In January he switched to 2
times a week because the sessions were too
expensive and worked on his own doing cardio
16
2 times a day when he didn’t have a session
happened to offer me every time we went out.
with Jason. Collin would go to his local gym and
Or whenever someone had cheesecake I swear I
force himself to keep moving. “There is nothing
could literally taste the strawberries and the
better than the self gratification you feel when
crunch of the crust in my mouth just by
you realize you just pushed yourself harder than
watching them eat it. The fact that I couldn’t
you have ever pushed”. Collin began running
eat my favorite things was really hard to get
around the small red track for ten minutes. His
used to.”
pace was slow and steady but as long and he
didn’t walk he had done better than the day
before. Soon he realized that the ten minutes
seemed to go by much faster and he was going
further distances each time. Along with his
exercise routine he was put on a strict diet
customized by Jason specifically for Collin. The
biggest rule was “NO white” no pasta, no white
bread, no white rice, no milk, no sugar. Before
he started the diet and was only exercising with
Jason he was losing 2-3 lbs a week. Once he
started the diet he shed off 4-8 lbs a week.
Although he was seeing success in his weight
loss it was not easy, there were many meals he
had to deny because they did not fit his diet. “I
can’t tell you how hard it was to tell my friends I
couldn’t have that big juicy burger that they just
Although Collin as not yet finished his difficult
battle of weight loss he has accomplished a lot.
He received his mission call in April and will be
serving in Des Moines Iowa. He leaves for his
mission June 8th 2011. Today, Collin currently
weighs 273 lbs and is working hard to keep
losing weight. Every day at 6 a.m. and 1 p.m.
you will see him at his local gym sweating time
away doing circuit training and weight lifting.
He no longer works with Jason but he still
follows Jason’s work out and diet regime. When
Collin first began working out it took everything
for him to be able to get 30 seconds worth of
cardio in on the elliptical, he is now doing 2
hours worth of cardio and another hour’s worth
of weight lifting. He has improved tenfold
thanks to his determination and hard work.
17
Big Fat Giant & the Monkey bars
of Shame
I come from a diverse family when it
comes to body size. My Father’s side of the
family is full of short and “stalky” people. In
other words full of overweight, fat or downright
plump people it just depends on which family
member you are talking about. Being “proud”
or taking care of their bodies was never a top
priority. It was more important to clear your
plate and be polite rather leaving half your food
on your plate. My great Grandfather used to
mother’s side of the family is tall and slender.
Her father, Grandpa Hendricks was 6’ 6’’ and
was known for his congeniality and hard work.
No matter where you went he always knew
someone and had some sort of connection. He
made sure that all 5 of his daughters were
proud of their height and slender build because
he knew it would help them to be successful in
life, like him. Many of his girls went on to play
college sports because of their great height.
Growing up with these two extremes
own a bakery right up the road from where my
made me think about my size and weight a lot.
grandma grew up. They made donuts that were
In 5th grade I was 5’6’’ 107 lbs. If you were to
fried just right so you could hear a crunch when
check this on a BMI calculator, my body mass
the frosting dissolved on your tongue, the
index would be 17.3% which is considered to be
softest caramels that melted in your mouth like
underweight. However put in a class room full
butter, and luscious sweet rolls of every kind,
of kids who were on average 4’ 11’’-5’2’’ I was
raisin, coconut and even fresh orange rolls. This
classified as a giant, a big fat giant and I
easy access to the many desserts made it hard
absolutely hated it. I hated my big huge body. I
for my Grandma to keep a healthy body weight.
hated the way my legs were as big as most my
However thanks to all the years of working in
friend’s mothers, and the way I towered over
the bakery, she is now the best cook ever and it
every single boy in my school. I especially hated
is nearly impossible not to clear your plate. In
the way people would flat out say to me, “Wow,
contrast to my Father’s side of the family, my
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you’re tall.” They might as well have called me
shirts that made him seem so much cooler than
an alien; it would have felt the same.
all the other teachers. Maybe it was because he
In 5th grade, I had the coolest teacher in
the school. I can remember in kindergarten and
all the other years prior whenever students
would see Mr. Poloski at assemblies everyone
would point and stare at his class. The kids in
his class would always be laughing and having a
good time. Compared to my previous teachers,
all of which were female and had a tendency to
be sticklers to the rules, Mr. Poloski
represented cool. For whatever reason, there
was something about his sandy blonde hair that
was the only male teacher at Parkside
Elementary, or maybe it was the mysterious
gold band he always wore on his wrist. The
rumor on the playground was that he was a
professional golfer and he only taught so he
could have summers off to golf in the PGA tour,
others said he was a professional surfer and
was only teaching at our little elementary
school because he was forced to retire early
from a shark accident. Whatever the story was,
this was the year I would finally find out.
complimented his tanned leather skin and polo
19
We were only a couple weeks into the
new year and I began to realize something, Mr.
Poloski was one of those teachers, one of those
teachers that had class pets. We’ve all
experienced a teacher like this, they pick a
student and they put them on a pedestal. They
make sure that no other student can get as
good of grades as “the pet” does and even if
you studied your guts out you still wouldn’t get
the nice smiley face next to that “A+” thus
and that was flawless. She was so nice to
making it not as special. The teacher makes sure
everyone and to top it off she had the body of a
that their pet gets “Student of the week” about
17 year old, big chest and mini curves. We were
5 times during the school year even though
best friends we shared everything from
there were kids who had yet to get the award
strawberry milk to secrets at our slumber
just once. I could already tell that his pet this
parties twice a month. We would have had
year was my perfect best friend Kirsten Pitts.
them more often but that was all our parents
Kirsten was what the boys called “hott” but hot
would allow. It didn’t bother me that she was
with two “t’s”. She was short with blue eyes and
the class pet because it was better her be the
long brown hair that flowed to the middle of
pet than me. If I had to be the center of
her back. Although we were young and she
attention like that all the time I would have
should have still been in the awkward stage of
died. I had not grown up in a family where it
puberty like the rest of us, it seemed as if
was important to have the attention all the
Kirsten had skipped the awkward stage. There
time, which is why I was happy to be Kirsten’s
was only one way to describe her at the time
shadow.
20
At recess, boys would always ask me to
Then I wouldn’t feel so BIG and that way I
play football with them because the other team
wouldn’t have to be the one running up to the
had Lyndi Miller. Lyndi Miller was the boys’
boys at recess to deliver the message “ya, she’ll
triple threat when it came to football at recess.
be your girlfriend” giggling the whole way back
She had a very similar build to me, same height
because I was so excited to tell her whatever
and she towered over most the boys. She
the boy’s response was. If I was shorter maybe
wasn’t exactly what you would call feminine.
it would have been the other way around and I
She would tackle all the boys and whoever had
could be as cool as my best friend.
It was obvious the real reason Mr.
Right to left: Myself, exchange student
Bridget, and Kirsten. 4th grade.
Poloski was a teacher. He loved to teach and he
her on their team usually won, mostly because
loved to golf. He definitely wasn’t a professional
no one could take her down and if they could
golfer and he wasn’t going to the PGA tour
they didn’t try because they didn’t want to get
every summer but it was clear golf and teaching
sent to the principal’s office for tackling a girl.
were his favorite things to do in life. Every day
There was no way I was ever going to be
he would teach us our spelling and science and
classified in the “Lyndi Miller big girl” category.
made sure we kept up on the reading
Needless to say I never accepted the offers to
assignment for the week. He was a great
play. Although it always made my day to have
teacher; he always put a twist on things and
boys actually talk to me about me rather my
made them exciting for us. For our end of the
best friend. I would hear boys in the class talk
year party we were going to have a golfing
about Lyndi as “Goliath” and she would smile
tournament in the class room. Everyone was so
because she loved the fact that she was big and
excited. Mr. Poloski had spent the whole year
tall. I, however, hated my size and length. I just
telling us how fun the tournament always was
wished I could be shorter, shorter like Kirsten.
and how great the prizes were going to be.
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Kirsten and I were extra excited because Mr.
2 or 3 boys come over and try to talk to her
Poloski kept Kirsten after class a couple times to
during recess. Of course there were the regular
make sure she could practice her golf swing.
boys that always chased after her but it was my
This would really help us win with extra
job to make sure they didn’t talk to her if they
tutoring. After a couple times of Kirsten staying
weren’t on her cool list for the week.
after class she asked if I could come to, after all
I was her best friend and we wanted to win the
tournament together.
The next day we were sitting on the top
Today felt different however. The only
thing Kirsten had said to me all day was “Hi”
followed by a shrug of the shoulders. We hadn’t
said a word since we had gotten to the top of
of the bright yellow monkey bars at recess. The
those yellow monkey bars which was very
monkey bars signified power. Since Kirsten was
abnormal because we always had something to
the coolest girl in 5th grade you could have
talk about. Being sick of the silence, I was trying
easily called it her throne. Last year we were
to stir up the courage to ask what was wrong.
always jealous of all the cool 5th grade girls who
Finally I just asked, “Kirst, you ok?” She
got to sit on top of the cherished bars. They
shrugged her shoulders again “Ya I’m ok.” What
would hook their knees into one side of the bar
the heck is going on?? She hasn’t acted like this
and flip upside down just so that they could
since her Grandma died last year. Desperate for
look at how cool each other’s hair looked
anything to talk about I asked, “Well how was
upside down. Now that they had moved on to
your practice with Mr. P yesterday? Did he say I
the 6th grade we had taken over and it had been
could come with you next week?” She looked
a great spot for us. We could easily see all the
away. “Umm well that’s the thing, he said that
cute boys playing football and I could easily hop
he thinks you’re too big and uncoordinated for
down off those yellow bars to be the
golf, and that short girls have better hand-eye
“messenger” for Kirsten. It was normal to have
coordination. He thinks I should pair up with
22
someone else for the tournament. You’re still
my best friend though.” What? I just sat there.
Here was my best friend in the whole wide
world telling me I was “too big” and she needed
to get a new partner so she could still win the
golf tournament. Here was the teacher I had
always looked up to because he was so cool
feeding all this nonsense to my best friend.
Kirsten climbed off the monkey bars and ran
off.
That moment of hearing, “you’re too
big” shattered my already fragile self
confidence. I still didn’t know “who I was”
or my likes or my dislikes, I was still young
and trying to get the gist of life. The fact
that I already knew I was “big” thanks to my
fabulous genes, I thought about every day.
I didn’t need anyone to point that out to
me. I hoped and wished that there was
something I could do to just lose a couple
inches. Just so I could be average or even
short like my once best friend. Just to fit
in…
23
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Compos, Paul. Obesity Myth. New York: Gotham Books, 2004 Print.
Gelfand, Jonathan L MD . “Obesity” Webmd.com/obesity. 20 Feb. 2010. 13 Jan. 2011.
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Schlosser, Eric. Fast food Nation. New York: HarperCollins, 2001,2002 Print.
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