No woman can
be too rich or too thin. This saying often attributed to the late Duchess of
Windsor embodies much of the odd spirit of our times. Being thin is deemed as
such a virtue. The problem with such a view is that some people
actually attempt to live by it. I myself have fantasies of slipping into narrow
designer clothes. Consequently, I have been on a diet for the better-or
worse-part of my life. Being rich wouldn't be bad either, but that won't happen
unless an unknown relative dies suddenly in some distant land, leaving me
millions of dollars. Where did we go off the track? When did
eating butter become a sin and a tittle bit of extra flesh unappealing, if not
repellent? All religions have certain days when people refrain from eating, and
excessive eating is one of Christianity's seven deadly sins. However, until
quite recently, most people had a problem getting enough to eat. In some
religious groups, wealth was a symbol of probable salvation and high morals, and
fatness a sign of wealth and well-being. Today the opposite is
true. We have shifted to thinness as our new mark of virtue. The result is that
being fat-or even only somewhat overweight—is bad because it implies a lack of
moral strength. Our obsession with thinness is also fueled by
health concerns. It is true that in this country we have more overweight people
than ever before, and that, in many cases, being overweight correlates with an
increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease. These diseases, however, may
have as much to do with our way of life and our high-fat diets as with excess
weight. And the associated risk of cancer in the digestive system may be more of
a dietary problem—too much fat and a lack of fiber—than a weight
problem. The real concern, then, is not that we weigh too much,
but that we neither exercise enough nor eat well. Exercise is necessary for
strong bones and both heart and lung health. A balanced diet without a lot of
fat can also help the body avoid many diseases. We should surely stop paying so
much attention to weight. Simply being thin is not enough. It is actually
hazardous if those who get (or already are) thin think they are automatically
healthy and thus free from paying attention to their overall life-style.
Thinness can be pure vain glory.
单选题
In the eyes of the author, an odd phenomenon nowadays is that ______.
A. the Duchess of Windsor is regarded as a woman of virtue
B. looking slim is a symbol of having a large fortune