I was a fat kid and I enjoyed almost all kinds of delicious food. Sundays were the best. That's when we had our big_______，and there were so many people around laughing and talking.It was easy to _______how much you were eating. And if I _______a second part of anything，my mother's response was，“What's the matter？You don't like my _______？”At that time，consuming lots of bread，pasta and desserts never let me feel self­indulgent(放纵自己的)．I _______carried this high­calorie diet into adulthood.

It wasn't until my mid­30s that I _______something had to change. I had little energy，and because my fat body didn't want to do anything，it seemed_______was passing me by.

When a friend_______I start each day with oatmeal(燕麦片)for breakfast，I said，“You've got to be kidding！”But this friend was very enthusiastic and told me that it would make me keep full without being _______in calories or fat，so I took her advice.

I'm not exaggerating(夸张)when I say oatmeal has________the quality of my life.I used to get hungry between breakfast and lunch，reaching for a cup of coffee and its charming companion，the cake. Now，I don't even________food until lunchtime.

After a year of eating oatmeal for breakfast，I________over 15 pounds. I have more energy to do things，such as taking a walk after getting home from work instead of________．

My friends and colleagues have noted the positive________of oatmeal.So if you want to ________，why not eat oatmeal?

I had thought I was not good enough because of my overweight, which was made fun of daily. However, things _________ in the eighth grade. I _________ the running team and lost weight. Feeling _________, I ran more often and ate less to keep off the weight.

High school was a brand-new ball game. The _________ of endless competitions was a heavy load, and slowly, I began _________ back the weight I had lost. Still, I wanted so badly to look good in_________ form-fitting dance uniforms, so I _________ my best friend and enemy at the time—food. I began binging and purging (暴食催吐), comforting myself from the days’ struggle by eating whatever was in the fridge. A “good” day was _________ breakfast, having a piece of candy for lunch, and binging and purging at night.

My sister caught on over the months. There were various _________ of my illness even though I __________ my tracks (踪迹) well. She noticed changes in my __________ like taking more trips to the bathroom and removing myself from the world by __________ to my bedroom at night. One day my mom asked me if I was bulimic (贪食症患者). I __________ at once, “No!” But my sister had __________. The secret I had kept to myself for so many months was __________ made known. The next day, I went __________ my parents to a doctor who specialized in eating disorders.

Looking back, I am __________ for having a supportive family. __________ an eating disorder is a lifelong process. __________ is now my friend though I still draw back when I see a scale (磅秤) and __________ stepping on it. But it feels liberating (解脱) beating the disease every day!

There are too many fat people in America, so many Americans are fighting against overweight. But the ________thing is that the French,who consume rich food, tend to stay thin. Now a ________by Cornell University suggests ________life style and decisions about ________may affect weight. Researchers concluded that the French tend to stop eating when they feel ________. However, Americans tend to stop when their ________are empty or their favorite TV show is over.

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, a health expert, the French see eating ________an important part of their life style. They enjoy food and therefore spend a ________time at the table,while Americans see eating as anything to be squeezed between the other daily activities. Mercola believes Americans ________the ability to sense when they are actually full. So they keep eating long after the French would have stopped. In addition, he points out that Americans drive to huge supermarkets to buy canned and ________foods for the week. The French, ________tend to shop daily, walking to small shops and farmers' markets where they have a choice of fresh fruits, vegetables, and eggs as well as high-quality meats for each meal.

After a visit to the United States, Mireille guiliano, author of French Women Don't Get Fat, decided to ________about the importance of knowing when to stop rather than suggesting how to avoid________. Today she continued to stay slim and rarely goes to the gym.

In spite of all these differences, evidence shows that recent life style ________may be affecting French eating habits. Today the rate of obesity (肥胖)—or extreme overweight—among adults is only 6%. However, as American fast food gains ________and the young reject older traditions, the obesity rate among French children has reached 17%—and is growing.