Have you read Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle? I haven’t read it yet, and hate making recommendations on things I haven’t read, but from this post, it seems like a book you’d be interested in. (Depending on where you go, it could be a little hard to get a hold of over here, but I got it on order from Waterstone’s.)

No – I think you’re spot on. Nice observation.

Perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself a bit, but it seems ironic that weight has gone from being evidence of significant wealth long ago to now evidence of being poor(er).