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Only a few innocents in the United States don't know that the people of our country have lost their lean and hungry look. Waistlines are thicker than ever before — even though we're surrounded at every turn by diet and exercise promoters promising we can look sleek if only we use their product.

Lots of people go on diets. But only a few succeed in taking it off and keeping it off. Fingers of blame point everywhere. Technology engrosses our youngsters so they don't go outside to play. Instead they sit in their rooms glued to their computers and ipods. The television industry is especially heinous because it purposely captures Americans for the sole objective of making them eat popcorn and drink beer. TV is fattening, and so are the movies. It always amazes me to watch families go to the movies and spend most of the time in the theater stuffing their mouths with junk food. Obviously the entertainment on the screen is not exciting enough to keep the viewers' minds off thoughts of food.

We're a rich country. All anyone has to do is take stock of what the local supermarkets have on their shelves. Even diehard shoppers with lists in hand can get enticed into buying items they hadn't planned to. No wonder we're fat. We're overindulged, spoiled, will-full rather than won't-full. We eat when we're not hungry, and overeat when we are. Big is better when we're shopping for hamburgers. And we never forget the fries. Even ketchup is calorie-rich. There's just too much good stuff to resist temptation for long.

Let's face it. Diets just don't work for most of us. Waistlines aren't going to get any smaller just because we know it's healthier to be thin.

But a more important we don't lose weight is the fact that we don't have to worry about buying clothes in our size. And we don't have to wear moo-moos to cover our girth anymore.

There are lots of stylish clothes in every size available for us. There are even patterns for larger sized clothing.

We can eat all we want and still feel comfortable in whatever we choose to wear. Today's fabrics are so pliable that whatever size you choose to buy it can grow or shrink along with your body weight at least one size.

Adjustable clothing sizes started long ago. In 1895 there was a young immigrant seamstress named Lena Himmelstein. Lena was left a young widow with a child and no means of support. As with so many other immigrant women of her time she used her nimble fingers to make a living. This was a time when women either made their own clothes or hired someone to sew them.

Lena soon realized that there was an important niche in the clothing business she could fill. Maternity clothes were unheard of then. When a woman was pregnant she usually stayed indoors. Lena designed clothing with an elastic waistband hidden inside that expanded as the baby grew. This gave women the freedom of movement they craved.

Lena's efforts developed into a chain of stores called Lane Bryant that were dedicated to fitting oversized ladies. Now, of course, most department stores carry full-sized clothes and not just for the ladies. Lane Bryant has allowed us to grow fatter and still be comfortable in our clothes. And there lies the solution to the problem of thickening waistlines; tight belts and unyielding fabric. The tighter and wider the belt the less likely you can stuff your tummy with food. Old time high-rise corsets need to make a comeback. Wear one two sizes too small and eat less. This is the perfect diet, cheap and easy. A tightened waistband leads to a narrower waistline. You heard it here.