European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 16, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes Page 11 Ann Landers dear Ann Landers i m concerned about the glowing publicity surrounding Oprah Winfrey s weight loss. I Admire the woman s extraordinary self discipline but one aspect of her accomplishment Wor Ries me. Let me Tell you my Story i have been fat All my life. For Many years i pretended that i did t care but deep Down i was miserable and ashamed. I can still remember the Embarrass ment of trying to squeeze into an air plane seat barely making it and the joking comments from the people around me. I laughed with them but i was hurting inside. On feb. 8, 1987,1 awakened with a Start. It suddenly dawned on me that if i did t do something about my weight i would die before Long. It was As if god was giving me one last Chance. The next Day i went out and bought an exercise Bike i still hate the thing and put myself on 1,800 calories a Day. For calorie information i used an old Standard Cook Book. I did t do anything unusual just stuck to bran Cere Al for breakfast salad for lunch no dressing and broiled fish and Chicken and two vegetables for dinner. Dessert was a piece of fruit. To put it simply i Cut out sugar Salt and fat. On nov. 9,1987,1 reached my target weight. I was 302 pounds when i began and i was Down to Iso pounds. In nine months i went from huge to a perfect size 12. On feb. 9, 1988,1 celebrated my first anniversary of maintenance. In All that time my weight has t varied More than 2 pounds. My concern about the reports of Winfrey s weight loss is this most of the articles i be read give the impression that the Ideal Way to lose weight is to go into a program that costs several thousand dollars. Those milk shakes Oprah lived on plus the Vita mins blood tests and medical checkups almost daily Are much too costly for the average person. I am living proof that it is possible to achieve one s Ideal weight by eating sensibly and exercising daily. Please Ann Tell the world they Don t have to be Rich just sensible and determined. Slim Happy and healthy dear slim Happy and healthy Oprah deserves a great Deal of credit for achieving her goal but she made it abundantly Clear on her show that the Way she did it was not the Only Way it could be done. Oprah made another Strong Point taking weight off is Only half the Battle keeping it off is even tougher. I am glad that you succeeded in losing 150 pounds in nine months and that you were Able to sign yourself slim Happy and healthy but i would not recommend your approach to everyone. Any person who needs to lose 100 pounds or More should be under a doctor s supervision. Nearly 40 percent of the adult population in America is overweight. This says something about our eating habits and failure to exercise. The Only Way to lose weight and keep it off is to change your eating habits and exercise regularly. This Means giving up forever most of the things you love to eat and getting off your Duff. Unless you Are prepared to make this sacrifice forge tit. Los Angeles times syndicated columnist Landers welcomes your letters. You can write to her in care of the stars and stripes. Apo 09211, . Forces letters Cathy doonesbury strips defended when people Are made to feel uncomfortable they become defensive in their attitudes speech and behaviour. Apparently Cathy Guisewite touched a raw nerve in Many people with her cartoon series addressing the problems of child care and maternity benefits letters Jan. 1. The Choice apparently made by some readers was to become defensive rather than to take a More critical look at the problems alluded to by Guisewite. Quality child care is expensive and difficult to obtain for Many parents. There Are Many single parents male and females Well As Many two Parent families who need better child care programs than Are predominantly offered in the states As Well As for families overseas. The current maternity leave benefits of Many corporations including the military is ludicrous for both Mother and child. No one is suggesting someone vote for a particular party but family life spouse child abuse the Home less Are issues that affect us All. Although one May not always agree with or like a particular political car Toon our Rose coloured glasses sometimes must be forcefully removed even if the resulting View is repulsive. Kathleen Akridge Vicenza Italy i was astounded by the number and Content of the attacks on Cathy Guisewite s comic strip  although Guisewite has already responded i implore the individuals who were upset by her political statements to read the first amendment. How can anyone constitutionally infer that the stars and stripes should not publish doonesbury or Cathy the right to free speech should certainly permeate every part of the newspaper. Furthermore entitled to this right by Law . Citi Zens choose various creative mediums of expression. Some citizens have a Chance to inform a wide audience of readers or listeners concerning their opinions and discoveries. As a talented cartoonist Garry Trudeau for example is Able to accomplish this in a comic strip rather than on the front Page. It is unclear to me Why a cartoonist would address an Issue she or he considers completely uninteresting. Are . Citizens paralysed in apathy hoping to escape to the comic Page i applaud Trudeau s and Guisewite s attempts to blast our stupor. Kern Kyle Heidelberg West Germany of you republicans if you Don t like cartoonists making fun of your hero Don t read the strip. Quit your Lousy griping. Name and location withheld i was t very surprised to see so Many letters. Where it seemed that most of the comments were True i am tempted to remark that thou protest eth too much. And if As one writer stated the comic Section was no place for political comment because the Content might influence the election because Many american voters rarely read More than the funnies Page then i won Der about the Efficacy of their vote. It seems a bit elitist if it was t so sad to try to protect the voter from the comic Page when she he does not bother to become informed via any other source. Historically the comic was a political form of expression manifesting that most sacred expression Freedom of speech. It subsequently evolved into the comics or funnies of today. While there Are those people who find the sexist and banal repetition of such comic strips As Beetle Bailey funny there Are also those of us who live for the Sharp wit and political expression of such comics As Cathy and Doones  i therefore remind you of the very fundamental american right of Freedom of expression Champion your right to read whatever you find amusing and insist that you respect my right to do the same. If i wanted pablum i would read the labels on baby food jars. I shall continue to buy the stars and stripes go directly to the comic Section and read Cathy first then doonesbury and Bloom  name withheld Kaiserslautern West Germany if you want your newspapers censored move to Minsk. Until then if you Don t like it Don t read it. The Gist of the letters. From those who were of fended repulsed and otherwise Bent out of shape by Cathy and doonesbury seemed to be 1. Politics has no place in the funnies and 2. Too Many of America s voters rarely read More than the funny pages and therefore should not have their Virgin Little minds tampered with especially in an election year number one is wrong political commentary in the funny pages has a Long history in american journalism. Both Walt Kelly and Al Capp took the same kind of flak. Pogo took on Joe Mccarthy and i l Abner poked More than fun at what he perceived As pea Cenik phonies in the 60s number two anyone who reads Only the funnies and whose vote will be swayed by the opinions of Garfield Dagwood or Archie does t have a right to even have an opinion much less a vote. Jeff Matthews Naples Italy pen pals i would like to be included in your pen pal column. I enjoy Reading magazines and watching to. Imelda p. Aviles co Abdul Rahmanan Hasa i . Box 8616-22057 Salm Lya Kuwait i am 19 and would like pen pals. I like to read. Melilla a. Torio 43-b Martin Mendoza St. Macaraya Aparri Bagayan Philippines please put my name in your pen pal column. I am 25 and enjoy outings and watching to. Edith Anit Onlo 10f. Sanitos St. San Juan metro Manila Philippines 1500 i am 24 years old and would like pen pals. I am a Catholic. Lumen m. Luna you building pm. 305 Monteverdi Lizada Street Davao City 8000, Philippines please list my name in your pen pal column. I m a 19-year-old German woman looking for Ger Man speaking american pen pals. My hobbies Are listening to hard Rock watching movies and walking. Heike welter  6600 Saar Bricken 2, West Germany please publish my name in your list of pen pals. I am 18 years old. I like watching movies and to. Elvina Acosta beside Collado Anastaiso subdivision Polo Molok South Cota Buto Philippines 9705 i am a 25-year-old sri lankan presently work ing in saudi Arabia. My hobbies Are playing volleyball swimming dancing and collecting Stamps. . Premala dept 40 Supply of directorate ministry of defense & aviation . Box 23 Hafa Rabatin 31991 kingdom of saudi Arabia european edition col Jeffrey m. 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