Stopping a gravy train of a different kind: local fitness club offers Rob Ford a discount trainer

Stopping a gravy train of a different kind: local fitness club offers Rob Ford a discount trainer

Just what Toronto needs: more discussion of Rob Ford’s weight. Some marketing geniuses at Nielsen Fitness have offered the mayor-elect a discount personal trainer all in the name of getting their names in the paper civic duty. (We’re personally uncomfortable with a “discount personal” anything, but to each their own.) The National Post’s Chris Selley has—ahem—weighed in, saying that comments about Ford’s girth are inconsistent with comments about other politicians. George Smitherman, for example, is many things, but model-thin ain’t one of them.

David Miller? Svelte enough these days, but he’s at least 50 pounds lighter than he was during the 2003 election campaign—more, I’d guess—when his considerable volume wasn’t an issue despite publicly acknowledging his love of the quarter pounder with cheese. (How’s that for setting an example?)

I don’t recall conservatives giggling and clucking about his belly while he (if you ask them) dragged the city down the toilet; can’t progressives return the favour while Mr. Ford (if you ask them) does likewise?

There’s also the point that the snickering usually backfires on the snickerers. A few years ago in New Jersey, Chris Christie’s Democratic opponents put out an ad making fun of his weight. Anyone wondering how that worked out can address his or her questions to Governor Christie.

For these kinds of comments to be more fairly distributed, we expect to see a few more discount offers out there. Can Dalton McGuinty and Stephen Harper get drama lessons? Can someone break Giorgio Mammoliti of his obsession with enormous poles and large mammals? And for the love of God, can someone please get Michael Ignatieff some free dancing lessons?

• Chris Selley: This is the last time I will bring up Rob Ford’s weight [National Post]
• Is Rob Ford ready to ‘cut the fat’ with Nielsen Fitness Personal Training? [Nielsen Fitness]