I RECENTLY went to a fitness club for a complimentary tour.

A trainer measured the "thickness" of the fat on my body and said that I was "so fat", while making "tsk tsk" noises.

The manager also said that I was in trouble for being fat.

When I commented that the people at the club were very focused on training and were working out even at night, the manager said that it was because the others, unlike me, know how important health is.

When the tour ended, the manager, seeing that I was not interested in signing up for a membership, told me that he won't be surprised if I died the next day!

I had approached the club hoping to make a difference to my life, but I was totally demoralised after the encounter.

By the way, I have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 24. According to the BMI charts for Asians, I am slightly overweight for my height (a BMI of 19 to 23 is considered normal).

But surely I am not so obese that I would drop dead immediately, am I?

Ms Michelle Jean Yeang