Very wise, Mr. Glassner. We are all being absurd. One-third of girls between the ages of 11 and 18 are on diets. Psychiatric wards are full of bulemics (who binge on food and then vomit) and anorexics (who starve themselves utterly).
Nature is against us. Women are not genetically programmed to be lean and hard. The onset of puberty bestows curves, softness, voluptuousness -- in other words fat. When we starve and exercise to rid ourselves of the sinful softness, or when more than 100,000 of us troop to plastic surgeons to have it vacuumed away by liposuction, we're doomed to disappointment. The ideal is out of reach.
Glassner thinks we should find "other, more realistic options." Very sensible.
But who will start? I confess that in the temple of dieting I am a priestess. I have been on my current diet for -- what day is it? -- eight years. Fried food? Anathema. Cream sauce? Anathema. Cheesecake? Can't even remember what it tastes like.
I know that this is vain folly. The national religion is a false idol. But until the day comes when the words "Have you lost weight?" are an expression of pity, instead of the highest praise, I'll remain a devout dieter, keeping vows of cream cheese chastity.