Fat Belly!

Walk into any bookstore today, and the words "Flat Belly" will be staring you in the face. But when I look at the word "flat," my eyes drop the "l" and all I see is "FAT." And since I have one big FAT BELLY, I take this assault personally.

And I should.

Research shows that those of us with fat bellies are prone to diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. I'm just praying it is not too late to do anything about mine.

I have never had a waistline. Even when skinny -- and there have been a few times in my life I fit this category -- I was not curvy, but more up and down. In fact, before the days when the PC police ruled all, I had a city editor who told me I had an ass like a man. (Barry, you out there? It's my blog, it's payback time, and sometimes life is sweet.)

Yesterday, Jack and I went to Borders, and I finally gave in and bought a copy of the "Flat Belly Diet!" by Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass. I was actually looking for Jorge Cruise's version, but Borders did not have it. My buying the book now is interesting since last week I joined Weight Watchers, to put all of my wellness coach, Heather's Pierce's advice, into the context of portion control.

Practical Jack asked me why I would be buying another diet book, and my answer was simple: I want to start finding out about the foods that researchers think make us hold onto mid-body flab. This is a matter of life and death. Mine.

Like every other diet book I ever buy, it's the recipes that have to win me over or I know my relationship with that diet will be short lived. The recipes in the "Flat Belly Diet!" are terrific, and I am a pushover when it comes to new recipes.

My plan is simple: Avoid the foods that cause flat to go fat, eat within the Weight Watchers POINTS plan, and see Heather for support. behavior modification, and gentle reminders of the foods I should be eating and those to avoid. It's my three-pronged attack, and if this doesn't work, I've failed. And for those of you who know me, a failure is something I never want to be.

This is one recipe from the "Flat Belly Diet!" -- actually the first one I saw when I opened the book. Since I am having a love affair with scallops right now, I thought someone was sending me a message. As for the Bok Choy -- it was the present Heather Pierce gave me at our first session. Memories!

CHAI SCALLOPS WITH BOK CHOY

2 bags chai tea

2-4 heads baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise or halved if small (about 3/4 pounds)

1 Tblsp. finely chopped fresh ginger

1 lb. sea scallops, halved horizontally

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup light coconut milk

1/2 cup cashews

1 lime, cut into quarters

• Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil. Remove from the heat and steep the tea bags for 3 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags. Reserve the brewed tea.
• Sprinkle the bok choy with ginger. Steam over rapidly boiling water in a covered steamer for about 8 minutes, or until bright green and easily pierced with the tip of a knife.
• Pat the scallops dry and sprinkle with salt. Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallops in a single layer. (Work in batches if necessary.) Cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until opaque. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add the tea and coconut milk to the skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, swirling the pan and allowing the sauce to thicken. Divide the sauce evenly among 4 shallow bowls. Top with the bok choy, scallops, and cashews, and serve with the lime wedges.
• Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 250 calories, 23g protein, 12g carbohydrates, 13g fat, 2.9g saturated fat; 37mg sodium; 1g fiber. Make it a flat belly meal: serve with 1/2 cup steamed brown rice (109 calories) and 1 cup grapes (60 calories), which would make the total meal 419 calories. (The premise of this diet is to eat four 400-calorie meals a day.?

Gotta love the Germans, who appreciate real women — curves and all. But then, I would expect nothing less from the country that brought us wurst, beer, strudel, kuchen, dumplings and dark bread.

The German media has fired an aggressive volley in the charge against shapeless, anorexic-looking women. Germany's most prominent women's magazine, Brigitte, just announced it is BANNING professional models from its pages. So the "models" featured in the mag from now on — those in beauty, fashion, fitness pieces — will be a mix of prominent women and regular readers. They will be paid the same scale as the models.

The Associated Press quoted mag editor Andreas Lebert as saying readers are tired of seeing protruding bones on models, all who weigh much less than you and me.

It's about time.

One of my guilty pleasures in Project Runway, the Lifetime show that pits up-and-coming designers against each other. All are hoping to launch their careers. It's terrific — except when the way-too-skinny models are being fitted. Protruding bones? Painfully displayed everywhere. No wonder most women — and lots of men — have body issues.

Compared to Brigitte, Glamour magazine's November issue, which will feature plus-sized models in the buff, looks trivial. There are three things I find offensive about the Glamour spread. First, these women are models, and although plus-sized, they are not the plus-sizes you see walking down the street. Second, they are naked. I have nothing against nudity. I just find it strange that to celebrate a few rolls of fat, Glamour feels these women must bare all. And third? This in only one titillating spread that shows no commitment. But it is a step.

A giant step in Dove's "Campaign for Real Beauty" — www.dove.us — which internationally targets women and girls with messages about self-empowerment, self-esteem, and body typecast issues. When Dove started the campaign in 2004, it caught the attention of everyone because of its bold ads starring real women. Dove backs its campaign up with some horrid facts:

• Only 2% of women in the world describe themselves as beautiful.
  
• 81% of women in the United States strongly agree that "the media and advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty that most women can't ever achieve."
  

No wonder American shrinks stay in business.

Wouldn't it be great if some American magazine would follow Brigitte's lead? Wouldn't you buy a magazine showing models whose skin covered their bones?

Perhaps it's time to pay attention to a poll on www.stylist.com asking: "What do you think of plus-sized models appearing in glossy fashion magazines? When I posted today, there were 184,193 votes:

• 75% voted: "Love! It's about time"
  
• 21% voted: "A mix of body shapes is ideal."
• Only 4% voted: "I'd rather look at skinny models."

Could it be that skinny really is out? We can only hope advertising and the media catch on — and fast.