where did all the skinny people go?

This past Saturday, J surprised me with a wonderful impromptu trip to the LA Zoo. We arrived pretty early but the crowds were already swarming. As we migrated through throngs of people pressed up against the monkey cages, it occured to me that once again I was among the thinner people on the premises (editor's note: I still have seven pounds of post-pregnancy weight that never melted off. I ain't a size zero.)

We hit the reptile section first. I counted nine motorized carts carrying overweight zoo go-ers (many of them eating ice cream while cruising) and at least 25 chunky women in shirts that were two sizes too small. In a couple of cases I actually thought they were pregnant. There was one incredibly rotund man and I had to do everything in my power not to stare at him. He looked like a small village.

There were hordes of fat children running through the petting zoo. They seemed to have a lot of energy, screaming their heads off. Their hefty parents stopped their adult conversations to shush them.

The next batch of fatties was near the giraffe exhibit. A very large woman actually stepped in front of me and completely blocked my view of the giraffes, along with the sun. I cursed at her silently.

We drove home about an hour later and I found myself thinking, most people think LA is the land of skinny, super health-conscious individuals. In certain areas of the city that is true. Occasionally I get my hair done in Beverly Hills and if you glued all the women there together you would still have a normal sized person. But somehow, in the center of the city, where people from different communities convene, you suddenly feel like you're in the Midwest.

I could lose a few pounds and tone up. I am not the model of perfect health by any means. It's scary to think that on that day in LA, I would be considered thin.