'This Is Why You're Fat' Creator on Staying Thin When Surrounded by Fatty Foods

Photo: Barnes and Noble

We've been "Ewwing" and "Ahhing" over the outrageously obese eats at This Is Why You're Fat nearly all year (the book cover above will give you a good idea what kind of foods they feature if you've never visited the site), so it was only a matter of time before we asked the brains behind the Website, Jessica Amason, what inspired her to create it.

"I'm always on the Web, so I'm attuned to the new trends," says Amason, editor for BuzzFeed.com and former blogger for AOL's Urlesque.com. "And of course I'd noticed there were sites like Serious Eats and Pimp That Snack that were popping up everywhere. And so it made sense that there should be a one-stop shop kind of site." That's Fit also talked to Amason about her exercise regimen ("I go to a gym and I try to eat pretty healthy, but my motto has always been everything in moderation"), and if her eating habits have changed ("I was an athlete growing up, so I've always been a fairly healthy eater, but I have become very knowledgeable about the crazy fatty foods that are out there.") Read on for her favorite foods from the blog, and if she thinks these meals are really why you're fat.

That's Fit: What's your favorite guilty pleasure?

Jessica Amason: My weakness is baked goods, that's a pretty tough one from me. From the site, though, I think that my favorite is probably either the pizza burger, or the snack stadium. Just because there's real commitment there, those guys know how to go big. Because I know it's my weakness, I try not to indulge all that often, but with the holidays coming up I'm sure I'm gonna go a little crazy and then have to crack down once I get back.

TF: Does looking at pictures like these all day in effect curb your cravings, because it just becomes so gross, or does it make you hungry all the time?

JA: You know, honestly, I think it just depends on the day. Lately it has been helpful as an aversion therapy. Actually a lot of users write in saying that, saying that they'll look at that before eating lunch it makes them want to go get a salad.

TF: Do you really think there's a link between the kinds of foods we see on your site and America's obesity problem? How much of this food do you think is actually being eaten?

JA: Well, a lot of the things that have been submitted, like the pizza burger and the snack stadium that I mentioned, were actually eaten, they were made for a particular occasion, the Super Bowl. But I think it's safe to say that the reason these items are so special and that people gravitate towards them, is that they're unique. They're sort of one-offs. This is not typically someone's day-to-day diet. These items are over-the-top for a reason, and they might be an indulgence surrounding some sort of event like the Super Bowl or a holiday.

If you're reading This Is Why You're Fat, have you heard of This Is Why You're Thin? And, check out these holiday-themed ridiculously fatty dishes.