Drugs are bad, but being fat is worse in public eye

Unattractive designer Karl Lagerfeld has for years been rude about non-skinny females

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford urged his police chief today to release a video that media reports say show him smoking what appears to be crack cocaine

I have been on a 5:2 regime for about six months – that is, two days on an almost impossibly small calorie intake of 500 calories, and normal eating on the other days.

I have lost weight and feel fitter and better. So yes, eating less is do-able and brings results. But I really do object to the coarse, strident and noxious attacks on people who are overweight or obese, which now can mean as small as size 14 for women.

Last week on the Jeremy Vine show on BBC Radio 2 big-mouth, commentator Nina Myskow was foul to a fellow guest who was happy to be big. It was horrible. The unattractive designer Karl Lagerfeld has for years been rude about non-skinny females. French pro curvy campaigners have now made an official complaint against these rants.

Men, too, are seen as repulsive and somehow untrustworthy if they are portly. The Mayor of Toronto is in trouble for taking cocaine and for threatening behaviour, both caught on film. These transgressions are bad but he is also FAT – the worst crime of all. New Jersey’s re-elected Republican governor Chris Christie is also portrayed by body fascists as a sicko fattie.

Yes we need public policies to deal with obesity. But we have increasing numbers of drug and alcohol addicts too, and we don’t publicly abuse them and treat them as freaks. Chubby people have always been bullied. Now, though, such bullying has become a moral crusade. Maybe I should get plump again to show solidarity. Bring me cupcakes.