Weight is one of those hot-button issues that everyone has an opinion on. Men criticize women for being overweight. Women fight back ...

— JENNIFER: "I'm a 34-year-old mother of a 9-year-old daughter. I work full time; drive my daughter all over the city for her extracurricular activities; help my parents with their housekeeping and shopping; volunteer with children; eat a low-fat/low-calorie meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner; and walk mostly everywhere. And guess what? I'm fat. There's more to weight than a simple calories-in-calories-out equation. There's also heredity and metabolism. Give us fatties a break!"

— LISA: "I'm a middle-age, suddenly single woman who's a size 16. I don't sit on the couch and watch "The Price Is Right," and it's been a number of years since I've even seen a Big Mac. When I do go to fast-food restaurants, I order a salad.

"Do I wish I were thin? Yes! But I'm more active, have more energy and am healthier than some of my size-6 and size-8 friends. The bottom line is, childbirth and hormones wreak havoc on a body. It's part of getting older. Men, at middle age, don't always have the same problem. They have performance issues. Which is worse?"

— GIGI: "I'm struck by how many men consider it a woman's fault for the shape she takes on after 30. I watch the Discovery, History and Travel channels when they feature other cultures. There, with no access to Big Macs or Godiva chocolates, women older than 30 all have that similar look: wide in the middle with sagging boobs and butts and rolls of flesh. If you want to know what a natural beauty is supposed to look like, take a look at what goes for lovely when there isn't a McDonald's on the continent."

— CHARLOTTE: "'d sure like to find a 40- to 60-year-old man who's in shape. I can't tell you how many men I've met over the Internet who've described themselves as athletic and aren't. I remember one in particular who needed to lose 50 pounds."

— DREW: "I'm amazed how self-conscious women are about their bodies, while so many repulsive men are comfortable judging a woman's worth by her appearance."

— SELENA: "Thank God for male pattern baldness! The great equalizer of the sexes. If men didn't go bald, they'd never think of themselves as old. You'd be hard-pressed to find a 42-year-old man who doesn't think of himself as a hot 32-year-old."

— ANNIE: "I'm tired of dealing with men who are seeking to re-enter the womb by dating women 20 years their junior and using the argument, "Women in my age group don't take care of themselves." These men are trying to avoid facing the inevitable: growing old. Get over it!"

— LANA: "I belong to several Internet dating sites, and I go out a lot. All I find are men with thick necks and beer bellies! Men should know exercise and eating right don't always do the trick, especially in middle age, when hormones dry up. Genetics also plays a big part."

Is weight an issue for you or your partner? Send your tale, along with your questions, problems and rants to [email protected]. And check out my new ebook, "Dear Cheryl: Advice from Tales from the Front."