Tammy Cohen, a professional journalist whom I know to be responsible and thoughtful, is interested in doing a story on gainers. Here's what she asked me to post:

A monthly women's magazine is looking for a woman, 35 or under, preferably from the UK, who'd a) be willing to talk about why she has chosen to be part of the community and what it means to her, and would be happy to be photographed. There would be a fee for her time and trouble. The best way to contact me is via this email address tammycohen63@btinternet.com.

I'd be happy to chat with any of you who want to consider it, but I think you'd also find Tammy perfectly easy to talk to. She got in touch with me after the story in The Guardian.

As some of you know, I think working with thoughtful, honest journalists is an important way to combat all the negative stereotypes out there about us, so I hope a few people will respond.

Thanks, J

Hi, Mira,

I had a different thought, and very fast, on reading your post than others did. I immediately assumed that someone was constantly telling her she would get fat, or shouldn't eat that because she'd get fat, and pointing out people, saying 'you don't want to look like her, do you?'

Now, let me say that part of the reason that came to mind is because I've heard storied like that from students. So I know it happens. And partly it's because my mother was always on top of me not to eat too much. But in any case, I do think it's at least a possibility.

Were it to happen again, you could say to her "Who told you being fat is a bad thing? I enjoy it."

Whatever happens, please know that you were wonderful for being clear and direct without hurting her or getting angry. Brava! And *hugs*

FWIW, a few comments to various posts on this thread:

1. You can help curb yeast infections to some extent by taking and eating probiotics, like yogurt with live cultures and live acidophilus (which should be stored in a fridge--the shelf capsules aren't reliable, from what I've read.)

2. I would be wary of talc; I read somewhere years ago that there were serious studies that linked talc use to lung problems (I forget what kind).

3. I am a fan of the cloth between rolls, but I'd never thought of diapers. Brilliant.

4. I would be cautious about creams and deodarants between rolls. I used to use a natural stick deodarant under my breasts for some time, until I realised that it was closing up my pores and creating little pimples, sometimes dry, like blackheads, sometimes more like whiteheads.

My four bits, J

Mine's 46. I still think it's a dumb measure: weight (kg)/height (m) squared? ultimately it's no more or less subtle than the old height/weight charts--just slightly different and calculable.

There's no simple adequate way to judge body fat.

But I'm still amused by finding out that I'm 'off the charts' according to most of these fearmongers.

I didn't say it did. But if one has to die to have the statistics of long-term weight loss work in one's favour, it seems a grim approach.

Besides, something, I have as a matter of policy given up responding to you. [This is an exception, since you asked me directly, and I won't even do that any longer.] It's very very clear that we read the same words and understand different things from them, and there's no point re-rehearsing the same arguments over and over.