Mrs. GoodBody, I presume?

We all do it… we all have at least one part of our body that we obsess over, that we hate, that we wish we could change with our handy-dandy magic wand. Our ‘flaws’… whether they are real or perceived.

You know how it is. We look in the mirror with that horribly critical eye, and we think that everyone else on the planet notices that little wrinkle between our eyes, or our jiggly upper arms, or the cottage cheese on our butts. (Daaamn. Turns out I have at least three body obsessions. I will cease listing things while I only have three.)

But I had to laugh today when I saw an article on CNN’s health website that was all about “cankles”. According to the article… "cankles" is slang for the part of the leg where the ankle meets the calf when there is no definition or indentation. In most cases, cankles are just large ankles -- what used to be called "big bones."

C’mon…you know a cankle when you see one. And I’m sure if you have cankles, it’s about as much a laughing matter as my turkey neck is to me. (Damn. Damn! That’s four.) Much like the infamous ‘Man Hands’ from the Seinfeld episode, there’s not a lot you can do about cankles, I guess. I just didn't realize it warranted an entire article on CNN.

The article mentions that diet and exercise really don’t make a dent in cankles (oh, snap! Pun intended.) And that one of the doctors has even seen patients try to alter their ankles with… wait for it…

Ankle liposuction.

And one more time:

Ankle liposuction. Which the article says can cost somewhere between $4000 and $8000, depending on how extensive the ‘ankle shaping need is’.

So what exactly constitutes a cankle? Glad you asked… and I quote: “According to podiatrists, the average ankle size is about 10 to 11 inches around; men's ankles may be a little larger.”

Go ahead… measure your ankle. I did it, too. I’ll wait.

Whistling…

Done? Mmmmkay.

And while I don’t actually have cankles, I say if you do … embrace ‘em. And keep in mind that those crunchy 80’s socks just might make a comeback. Love those cankles. Just like I have learned to love my little muffin top.

Aw crap. That’s five.