Member-only story
Why the Western Diet Is Killing Us
And how can we start eating better?
The first time I saw my best friend, she was home on break from college. She opened the door of her childhood bedroom at her parent’s house and walked out smiling with a rotund belly protruding under her t-shirt.
“Was it something I said?” she asked innocently as we stared at each other, her hand resting on the shelf of her belly.
“What is that?” I asked, still staring at her protruding stomach. She shrugged and sat down on the bed. It was clear she had no idea what was happening to her body or why it all seemed to be happening so quickly.
As she filled me in on her break, I sat next to her, feeling the warm ripples of her belly against my arm. She had gained almost 20 pounds since starting college in the fall; it seemed like she had put on 10 pounds every three months over the past year.
“What’s with all this weight gain?” I asked, trying to hide my concern.
“I dunno, chicken wings? Late-night pizza?” She shrugged and laughed as she stood up and examined herself in the mirror. I couldn’t help but notice that her thighs were rapidly expanding into one another as she turned around in front of the mirror, examining herself from every angle.
