1.7.12 Olympic Burger Diet

In Saturday's Sun, the double page centre-spread was (apart from an advert for Felix cat food, and the Sun Bingo numbers, entirely devoted to an article on how someone who was overweight five years ago is now about to represent the country in the Olympics.  There are a few issues I'd like to highlight.  I have nothing against the individual, I do not know her, and am quite sure she's very likeable.  However, I have an issue (or six) with the newspaper.

1. Why is this story deemed important enough to appear as a massive feature?
2. Does anyone know what 'handball' is (apart from a penalty if it's in the box?) in terms of an Olympic sport?
3. How many of the more obscure 'sports' can someone decide to get good at and suddenly become world-class? [I recall a sterling performance by Amy Williams in the 2010 Winter Olympics, winning gold in the Women's Skeleton event, after 'just having a go at it'.]
4. Is the GB team hoping to bolster the medal count by encouraging the country to get behind these hobbies?  What's next?  I'm sure that somewhere in the Olympic schedule is the 1000m Pedalo Freestyle, and Mallard Wafting from Weymouth.  Keepie Uppie - Men's Medicine Ball is hoping to be included for 2016.
5. Isn't there something rather exploitative in concentrating on someone's weight, and then marvelling at how wonderful it is that an over-eater decides to eat sensibly?  Wonder of wonders, she can then play a bit better at Handball seeing as she's got 5 stone less to carry around with her.  I would have suggested that 18st is a bit on the heavy side to be an athlete in a women's event (that isn't Darts, of course - another hobby pretending to be a sport!)
6. Why oh why does there have to be weight loss and a round of applause before we are all ready to be impressed.  I would like to see a story about someone who didn't get fat** and who managed to do quite well without first having to lose a third of his/her body. [** this word - which has served us (forgive the pun) so admirably for centuries -is now the target of the PC police, and so I am not sure if it needs to be replaced with a) Obese b) Chunky c) Greedy d) Large e) Overweight, or f) Humpty.

Can we PLEASE stop celebrating those who've been happy to gorge themselves for years, and at last wean themselves off diets that are pathetic.  This particular daily intake [noted in the 'Before' column and not the one labelled 'After'] involved -

Breakfast: Can of full-fat Coca-Cola.
Lunch: Hamburger and chips
Dinner: Two cheeseburgers from McDonald's, an extra portion of chilli chips
Snacks: Pizza bread, entire multi-pack of crisps and several bars of chocolate

I suggest this deplorable approach to eating is one that should not even be printed in a newspaper.  There will be some saddo whose daily consumption is one buger fewer, and thinks that he/she is not doing so bad after all.

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