The New York Times “Fat Pack” article about the declining health of food enthusiasts sure stirred up some controversy last week on Chow’s message board.

The message boards really break it down, but I had to address my favorite excerpt from the article:

I think enjoyment of food has never proven to be harmful to anyone’s health,” said Mr. Shaw, who turned from practicing law to writing about food in the late 1990s with an article for Salon.com defending fat guys. He still cultivates a persona in print and online as The Fat Guy, and at 5-foot-10 weighs about 270 pounds.

Mr. Shaw said he believes the genetic component of weight and health matter more than moderation and exercise. Although his father died from heart disease, he thinks that the state of medical knowledge on the relationship of diet to health changes so frequently that it can’t be trusted.

Some of his views about diet and health border on the extreme. “I think the whole diabetes thing is a major hoax,” he said. “They are overdiagnosing it.”

Woh! Not only is Mr. Shaw an overweight lawyer turned food columnist, but he’s apparently a doctor and geneticist. This guy is nuts; isn’t common sense that someone who’s overweight, out of shape, and/or obese is much more likely to suffer from some sort of cardiovascular disease?

On another note, is it really that hard to eat in moderation, throw in a few veggies, and get a little exercise? Isn’t it possible to enjoy food without indulging?

And, can someone who eats healthfully and is in good shape be a foodie?

Or, has it become some sort of unspoken rule that to be a true foodie you must be overweight and constantly indulge in fatty foods?

Let’s hope not! We would love to hear from the food blogging community on this topic. I’ll keep you posted on any updates or developments, maybe something from the Chef2Chef.net Forums.