In a message dated 3/3/01 9:20:22 PM Eastern Standard Time,
littles(a)lycos.co.uk writes:
<< Ah, but... supposing you work in an office where everyone eats a lot of
chocolate? Gradually you start eating more and more too... and let's just
hope you're smart enough to recognise how much is too much, and what's
causing you to eat too much, or you're going to need to go on a serious
slimming diet. >>
Food and sex are two addictions that have something in common, that set them
apart from addictions to things like cigarettes, drugs and gambling. They are
natural functions that can not be quit 'cold turkey.' You can live without
cigarettes, recreational drugs or gambling. If you stop eating, you die. If
you stop having sex of any kind, you are not behaving in a natural fashion.
Therefore, it's much more difficult to manage these, as they are simply a
matter of managed degree of addiction. In the case of food, you have, at
least, a visible means of telling when you've reached an unhealthy level of
use. But the level of our sex lives is frequently subject to judgement that
has nothing to do with physical health. The "normality" of sex is often
dictated by ephimerial social mores based on a certain religion (and the
society that sets laws according to that religion). The truth, however, is
that once you are practicing safe sex and indulging with only consenting
adults, there really isn't anything unhealthy about sex (unless you adventure
with positions that your back will punish you for, later!).