January 14, 2002 | 8:47 AM

It stirkes me that some people don�t care about food.

They don�t think about food.

They don�t long for food.

They don�t deny themselves food.

To them, food is to body as gas is to car.

It strikes me that some people don�t care about their weight. They just don�t care. They don�t have to care.

They don�t look in the mirror every day from all angles, appraising themselves in the manner that an insurance company inspects property damages.

They don�t pinch their tummies at random points throughout the day and label themselves "failure" or "sucess" depending on just how much there is to pinch.

They don�t regard bathroom scales as disciplinary authority figures.

They don�t buy dresses two sizes too small to motivate themselves to eat less.

It strikes me that some people love their bodies. Take pleasure in their bodies.

This is the difference between joy and shame.