Police in Peru have arrested five members of a gang suspected of killing people for their fat, which they would drain from the victims' bodies and sell on the international black market as a treatment for wrinkles. While experts are skeptical that such a market exists, I don't think we should be so quick to dismiss it: Given the demographics of this country, this may in fact be the perfect method by which we subsidize health care. 20
Edward Ates, the fat man who tried to convince a New Jersey jury that he was too obese to commit the crime of murder, was found guilty of killing his son-in-law. @9:40 AM 2
Fat Man Hopes To Sway Jury Of His Peers @4:00 PM
To the frontiers of justice: "A Florida man accused of killing his son-in-law in New Jersey is arguing that he was unable to commit the crime because he was too fat." The unfortunately—or perhaps fortuitously, if you're his defense attorney—named Edward Ates will testify that his massive girth would have prevented him from running up and down a set of stairs where the murder occurred. "When the battered-wife defense was first used, it was considered abhorrent and bizarre. Jurors may be open to this in a society that talks about the infirmities that that obesity causes," says a noted trial lawyer. Okay! 13
Who Are America's Tubbiest Governors? @9:20 AM
In the wake of New Jersey's whole "Chris Christie: Too enormous to be governor?" controversy, Your Geeky Boyfriend Nate Silver runs down the nation's 50 chief executives and rates their fitness. Sample: "Bill Richardson (NM) — fat; possibly getting fatter." Clip and save! 15
We Should Stop Making Fun Of (And Feeding) Fat People @10:10 AM
Does it make me a terrible person that I find this entire segment hysterical? Probably. But as we know, laughing at fat people is this week's "last acceptable prejudice," so I'm gonna get in on some of that sweet tubby-mocking while I still can. 24
Struggling Networks To Turn TVs Into Mirrors @2:50 PM
How can the networks boost their faltering ratings? By putting more lardasses on TV! But they've got to be sensitive in the way they portray their tubby demographic; contrary to popular opinion, not all fat people are jolly. Ad Age looks at the problem. READ MORE 7
