According to a Washington Journal interview with health department representative, Dr John Agwunobi, this is the Year of the Heavy Fed. He should be congratulated on the move to encourage the majority of Government employees to shed some pounds, even hundredweights of excess body mass. For once, that sounds like a good idea, leading from the front. Well done.

How Feds lose tons of weight

The Government's push for losing lots of weight actually began back in 2003 - 363 tonnes of cash has been flown into Iraq and lost in the mayhem. The extreme gluttony of the people who got their hands on those $400k bricks is stomach-churning.

Two jags Prescott unhealthy hypocrisy

The average British civil servant is not quite as out-of-shape as their American counterparts - with a few exceptions. Years ago, John Prescott, the British Deputy Prime minister in the head banner above, was photographed cycling his fat ass into work. Spouting health and environment propoganda, his photo opportunity seemed to be inspirational. Maybe this rough and ready Northerner really could get in shape and make a good leader. Momentarily, people thought they could start to look up to a trim and healthy politician, rather than struggle to see around a corpulent frame financed by tax-payers' money.

And the greens were creaming too, especially as a bike is the leanest calorie consumer of all modes of transport. ie just 60 calories per mile of energy is needed to travel 1 mile, compared to 1600 to drive in a car. They thought they had a champion.

Unfortunately, it transpired later that day that as soon as the photographers ran out of film, his first of two Jaguars pulled up, a chauffeur threw the bike into the trunk, and off he drove to the office, 50 yards away. A hearty breakfast of three pork pies and a gallon of ale awaited him, and life continued as normal.

The Brits were heavily fed up with that sort of hypocrisy, and according to Skipper, weren't sorry to see Prescott squirm when caught for eating his secretary.