How you doin???
Matt LeBlanc's
smooth-talking character Joey now has his own show on NBC. While fans
across America are anxious to see the lovable character again, many would be
surprised to learn that the former Friend is actually "obese" according to
official government standards.
Sound crazy? According to The Center for Consumer Freedom, a nonprofit coalition supported by
restaurants, food companies, and consumers, working together to promote
personal responsibility and protect consumer choices, it's not as crazy as many of the ridiculous statistics fueling the
over-hyped "obesity epidemic" today.
In 1998, the U.S. government changed the
standard by which overweight is measured. As a result, over 30 million
Americans were shifted from a government-approved weight to the overweight
category -- without gaining an ounce!
Because the same government standard also does not account for muscle
mass, Jolly Joey is in good company with many other "overweight" and "obese"
celebrities like Matt Damon, Will Smith, Tom Cruise and Bruce Willis.
All of
these celebrities, and many ordinary Americans, have fallen victim to this
same flawed standard which is also the basis for the government's claim that
65% of Americans today are overweight or obese.
So at 5'11" and 218 lbs., should Joey be cast at Fat Camp instead of the
glamorous Hollywood Hills? Of course not, but the star should watch out for
surprise guest performances by the self-described "food police" at the Center
for Science in the Public Interest and trial lawyers who want "fat taxes" and restaurant lawsuits to force Joey
and all of us to slim down.
"When the government labels movie stars like Matt LeBlanc 'obese,'
everyone should question what's really driving the war on fat," said Rick
Berman, executive director of The Center for Consumer Freedom. "The so-called
obesity epidemic is based on faulty assumptions and overblown statistics."
Does the government think you're fat? Take the online test.
Plug in your height and weight to get an
instant verdict on how the government stacks you up against Joey and many
other Hollywood stars.
Here are some of the other stars considered overweight ( All height and weight measurements were obtained through an online compendium of actor data, celebrity promotional materials, and official athletic figures found through ESPN.)
Barry Bonds: 6'2": 228 lbs: 29
Kobe Bryant: 6'6": 200 lbs: 25
President Bush: 5'11": 194 lbs: 26
George Clooney: 5'11": 211 lbs: 29
Nic Cage: 6'1": 210 lbs: 28
Matt Damon: 5'11": 187 lbs: 26
Johnny Depp: 5'7": 190 lbs: 27
David Duchovny: 6'0": 212 lbs: 29
Vin Diesel: 6'2": 200 lbs: 26
Cheryl Ford: 6'3": 215 lbs:27
Harrison Ford: 6'1": 218 lbs: 29
Brendan Fraser: 6'3": 234 lbs: 29
Richard Gere: 5'11": 187 lbs: 26
Ethan Hawke: 5'9": 172 lbs: 25
Hugh Jackman: 6'2": 210 lbs: 27
Lebron James: 6'8": 240 lbs: 26
Dale Jarrett: 6'2": 200 lbs: 26
Michael Jordan: 6'6": 216 lbs: 25
Bobby Labonte: 5'9": 170 lbs: 25
Nick Lachey: 5'10": 180 lbs: 26
Karl Malone: 6'9": 259 lbs: 28
Dr. Phil McGraw: 6'4": 240 lbs: 29
Yao Ming: 7'6": 310 lbs: 27
Brad Pitt: 6'0": 203 lbs: 28
Keanu Reeves: 6'1": 223 lbs: 29
Cal Ripken: 6'4": 210 lbs: 27
Andy Roddick: 6'2": 197 lbs: 25
Nykesha Sales: 6'0": 184 lbs: 25
Will Smith: 6'2": 210 lbs: 27
Denzel Washington: 6'0": 199 lbs: 27
Bruce Willis: 6'0": 200 lbs: 29
Billy Zane: 6'2": 210 lbs: 27
and these are considered obese:
Tom Cruise: 5'7": 201 lbs: 31
Matt LeBlanc: 5'11": 218 lbs: 30
Mark McGuire (playing weight): 6'5": 250 lbs: 30
Donovan McNabb: 6'3": 240 lbs: 30
Steve McNair: 6'2": 235 lbs: 30
The Rock (Dwayne Johnson): 6'5": 275 lbs: 33
Arnold Schwarzenegger: 6'2": 257 lbs: 33
Sammy Sosa: 6'0": 220 lbs: 30
Sylvester Stallone: 5'9": 228 lbs: 34
Mike Tyson: 5'11 ½": fighting weight between 218-235: 30-32