Fat has now joined the long list of politically incorrect terms that can’t be used at school, my sons inform me.

Fatism is now a recognised prejudice, and it got me thinking. What will be next I wonder? Spotty, smelly, sweaty, hairy, bald?

Not that derogatory words are to be admired, applauded or encouraged, or that taunting anyone is a good idea.

But from someone who deals in words, relies on them indeed, it’s alarming that our vocabulary is shrinking so fast.

What are kids meant to shout at each other in the playground now? “Oi you, the vertically challenged, sebaceously oiled, aromatically dysfunctional, folically diverse, podiatrically pungent, testosterone dominated persona, in the Essex-style tracksuit with head covering, can you pass my pencil case?”

I suppose first names are always useful in these situations, but you get my point.

Which seems to coincide nicely with today’s report that despite the long lists of people queueing up to have a gastric band inserted into their bodies, all of them have neglected to factor their lifestyles into the equation which is causing enormous (no pun intended) problems with post-operative care, ie the reason they need the gastric bands in the first place.

Recovering patients come back from hospital, girded up to the eyeballs, or at least the waistline, sit back down on the sofa and open a multipack of Quavers followed by a litre of Coke and wonder why they are in such pain.

Doctors are desperate to enrol these sufferers on life coaching classes while still in hospital before they can be released back into the supermarket sweetie aisle, to teach the rotundly challenged that gastric band or no gastric band, there is a reason they are engorged in the first place.

Because, just like rehabilitated drug addicts, the problems arise when they return to their home environments – unable to live their lives any other way.

For ex-junkies, mixing with anyone other than druggies is a foreign concept, let alone paying bills or getting a job.

They have little concept of the outside world or how to live in it and have to start from scratch, which is almost as difficult as going through cold turkey.

The same apparently, according to scientists today, is the case for the overtly Rubenesque. They are like that for a reason.

Exercise and a healthy diet seem like foreign words, meaning the gastric band is fast becoming like an alcoholic’s liver transplant – pointless if abused.