The Fat Problem ThatMen Face

It is a pleasure tosee men of a certain age worrying about their weight.Listening to them is notsuch a

pleasure.Because themen are new at the game,they don't hesitate to discuss the fat problemincessantly.

However women of thesame age do not discuss the fat problem,especially not in mixed company.They

prefer to face theproblem with quiet dignity.Discussing the problem might only draw attention tosome stray

body part that maybe successfully tucked away under an article of clothing.

The age at which aman begins to explore the fat problem can vary.The actual problem can manifest

itself in the early30's,but broad-range discussion usually starts later. There are early nonverbalsymptoms.

I'ye watched therugged journalist who shares my apartment sneak by with a Diet Coke.His shirtsare no

longer neatly tuckedin to display a trim waist.Recently he has begun to verbalize his anxiety.Hetells me,

with a sheepishgrin,that he is taking his suits to Chinatownto have them"tailored".

Still older men havelost their dignity and rattle on unabashedly.Often wives and children playimpor-

tant roles in theirfat-inspection rituals.Take my oldest brother,a former college football player.His daugh-

ter says thatseveral times a day he will stand at attention and call out,"Fat,medium orthin?"She knows

the correctanswer:medium.Thin would be an obvious stretch,and fat may not get her that newvideo.

According to hiswife,he stands in front of the mirror in the morning(before the day's mealstake their

toll),puts his handsbehind his head and lurches into a side bend,then clutches the roll that hasdeveloped

and says,"am Igetting fatter?"His wife is expected to answer．"you look like you may have losta few

pounds".

And then there arethe ex-husbands a pitiful group.They are extremely vocal.When I go to themovies

with one,he confidesthat he is suffering from great hunger because he is dieting. He hasn't eatensince the

pancakes andsausages he wolfed down that morning.He pauses in、his monologue while he buys his

popcorn.After themovie,we sprint to a restaurant,where he again pauses to devour a basket ofbread.

Before he orders hischaste salad and soup,he grows plaintive.Do I think he's fat?Men of a certainage are always ready to talk about their fat problem.

A.Right

B.Wrong

C.Not mentioned