I've always believed that obesity is a sign of prosperity. If you're lucky enough to live in a place where food is available in abundance, why shouldn't you take advantage of that? Why have I gotten fat on fast food and snacks? Because I'm lucky enough to live somewhere where I can do that.

The best thing you can do is embrace that mentality. What better sign of prosperity than a large waistline?

It was pretty hot here yesterday, so I decided to cool off by heading to the local pool. Of course, I'm quite the sight in a pair of swimming trunks these days, as you can imagine. I got changed and stepped out with my belly and moobs on display. As I headed to the showers, I overheard a young girl asking, "Mam, why does that man have boobs?"

Honestly, I didn't know whether to be amused or flattered!

I've been a passionate fan of, and regular at McDonald's for the past couple of years, and it's getting harder and harder for me to fit behind the tables there as my belly closes the gap. Sometimes, I have to actively wriggle myself in and out to avoid getting stuck.

Come on, McDonald's—do your huskier customers a favour and start making the chairs and tables wider!

I just have a regular double bed with some crates underneath to support it if it ever does collapse.

I learned about being comfortable with my body when I first got my beer belly—showing it off sunbathing, at the pool, that sort of thing. Of course, I was just fat then—I wasn't a land whale.

Last summer, if my neighbours looked into my garden, they would see an ordinary young man on a sun lounger, albeit one with a sizable beer gut. But this year, they're gonna see a massive, wobbling flesh mountain waddling out in a pair of swimming trunks and flip-flops, slowly lowering himself onto a sun lounger or a beach towel.

I recently met up with some old school friends to grab a coffee and something to eat, after we'd been keeping in touch over social media for a while. I mentioned in passing that I'd put on weight, not saying anything about me gaining. I don't think that prepared them for just how huge I was, though. The looks on their faces when they saw the size of me were something else! They got over it pretty quickly, fortunately~

It's definitely been a long time since I was able to see mine from over my belly. Not to mention it's starting to be hidden by my fupa, too~

When I was in college, I started getting pretty heavy thanks to a combo of beer and cheap food. I kind of tried to shrug it off at first. Sure, I had a pretty big beer gut, but that was nothing too bad. Certainly not enough to stop me from eating at McDonald's and Subway on a semi-regular basis.

A bit after that, I had gotten noticeably bigger and wider. It wasn't just my belly this time -- it was my butt and thighs, too. Still no big deal, even if my fast food trips had gone from semi-regular to regular. I was far from the only tubby guy around, after all.

Cut to a bit after that. By this point, there was no escaping that I had let myself go big time, and had gotten downright fat. I had to throw out several articles of clothing because they simply didn't fit anymore, and my meal sizes were growing in time with my belly. But even as my moobs and second chin came in, I figured, what the heck -- it's not the end of the world.

Now I'm the type of person who jumbo-sizes just about everything. I figure I'm a bit too far gone for exercise to work now

I say go for it! I weigh about 370 pounds and I'm loving it. Yeah, the concern about what other people think is definitely a thing, but if you learn to love yourself and put yourself first, you'll find that it doesn't last that long.

My decision to start going barefoot was influenced in a large part by my weight. I weigh approximately 320 pounds at 5' 10" -- when you're that heavy, you appreciate anything that takes some strain off your feet and ankles.

Fortunately, going barefoot seems to have provided! Now that I've adjusted to it, not only is it much more comfortable for me, but it's improved my posture, too. It feels quite liberating, too -- I still get a thrill from the feel of damp grass and soil on bare soles. I'd definitely encourage any other obese people to give it a shot.