The Get Thin Blues (standard:humor, 1401 words)
Author: ak	Added: Jul 29 2003	Views/Reads: 3501/2341	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Ten year old Delia's mother wants her to diet? But what's so bad about not being skinny?

The Get Thin Blues 

by Kira Pirofski B.S., M.A. 

Delia pushed her lunch tray along the metal rails and looked into the
aluminum bins in front of her. Macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, 
hamburgers, and salad where her lunch choices.  She reached for the 
greasy chicken, and went on to the next set of bins. Dessert choices 
were brownies, oatmeal cookies, and jello.  Without thinking she put 
two oatmeal cookies on her tray.  The last stop were the salad and 
fruit baskets.  As an afterthought, Delia plopped a big red apple and 
ripe yellow banana into a dish, and placed in on the edge of her 
already loaded down tray. 

It was 12:00pm, but Delia had eaten the lunch of yogourt and a bagel
that her mother had packed.  She had eaten it at recess, and was hungry 
again.  It seemed she was always hungry. 

Her constant hunger worried her mom, Mrs. Lawrence.  She thought Delia
was beautiful; she had big green eyes, freckles, an upturned nose, and 
a bow shaped, bee stung mouth.  It was just her stomach was big, and 
she had kind of chunky thighs. 

Dr. Nathel was worried about Delia's weight, which was 100.  That was
about 10 too much by the charts for a girl her age.  It was not a 
health concern at this point; the doctor just thought that," overeating 
is a bad habit." 

"It's not my only habit she said with authority," Delia spoke with
authority because she wanted to be a patent lawyer like her mom 
someday.  "I also am on the debate team, I got the lead in the 
'Hobbit,' and I swim everyday.  My aunt says that if I eat healthy and 
exercise, my weight doesn't matter that much." Delia said, quoting Aunt 
Lisa, who was a pediatrician. 

"Well, Delia, that is true, sort of, but you are so disciplined, why not
just try to change your habits?" The doctor added quickly. 

"I enjoy eating" was all Delia had to say. 

This discussion with Dr. Nathel had taken place a month ago, and Delia
still hadn't lost a pound.  She was still 100 pounds of solid girl. And 
having a second lunch wasn't going to help matters, "Oh well," she said 
outloud, "I don't care." 

"Don't care about what?" asked the tall skinney blonde girl who bounded
up next to her.  It was Sarah, her best friend. They had met at camp 
last summer, and were both good swimmers.  After school they went to 
Sarah's house to make jewelry.  Everyone at Sarah's house was thin, 
even their daschund terrrier, Heidi was thin as a stick. 

When the Munsten family had Delia over for dinner,the eating part was
over in a second.  Delia liked the food they served, noodles, sushi, 
and shrimp tempura, there just wasn't a lot of it to go around. 

The talking was fun, and being around so many people.  Delia was an only
child, and her father was dead.  Sarah had three sisters.  All were 
tall and had long blond hair.  Amy, Celeste, and Antoinette were all 
skinny and smart.  They wore pretty clothes, like peasant shirts and 
billowing skirts. 

Amy was going to be a French teacher, she lived at home while she went
to college.  Antoinette was 5 years older than Sarah and Delia.  She 
was always nice to the girls and invited them to her table at lunch 
time and drove them to the mall on the weekends. 

Celeste wanted to be an actress, and was going to move to Los Angeles
after high school to go to UCLA to study acting.  She said she was 
jealous of Delia because Delia didn't have to diet all the time. 

"All the movie directors care about is how thin a girl is Delia.  You'd
be amazed how boring it is to watch your weight everyday.  I wish I 
could eat all the delicious foods you do.  People value you for your 
talent and smarts, not how thin you are" Celeste would confide in her. 



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