This should be a rhetorical question...

[The Might]

I think that due to the special link between their bodies and their souls they were not so easily ifluenced by such pleasures such as food, drink, or..,you know what I mean

They are not easily deceived by their own kind; and their spirits being masters of their bodies, they are seldom swayed by the desires of the body only, but are by nature continent and steadfast. ~ Laws and Customs of the Eldar, Morgoth's Ring

Still, this comes a little bit in conflict with the image of Elves drinking Dorwinion wine in the Hobbit

Considering however why and how Tolkien wrote the Hobbit and the Laws and Customs of the Eldar, I am inclined to think that such abuses were only possible among more uneducated Silvan Elves, and that Noldor, Vanyar, Falmari or Sindar would have never done something like this. Still, I doubt that Thranduil's folk did that on a daily basis, and so it might have been a single case.

So no, no fast food Elves I'm afraid

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by The Might

their spirits being masters of their bodies

This is what I meant when I said "that they are not so much bound by the material world in these terms". And yes, I suppose the Silvan elves might have gotten a little bit "wild" in this way... but this is mere speculation.

[Durelin]

Originally Posted by Esty

No, that would be Maiar who can choose their appearance, not Elves.

I thought that sounded odd, but I am not a lore person, and so I never make judgments.

Ah, so they did eat meat in The Hobbit! Thanks for the quote, Estelyn.

And you are quite right, Lal, that came out as a generalization. I just happen to know a couple people who are vegetarians for health purposes. But...duh, I forgot...carbohydrates are the things that are supposed to be evil. *rolls eyes*

I think the point about not succumbing to desires is what I first thought of as why the Elves might always be perfectly slender. But it's not just overeating and fast food that causes excess weight in people. The Elves are likely free of disease and insanely slow metabolisms, though, eh? They have it good, don't they?

But the Elves are far from perfect. They are many examples of Elves being "tempted" to go down darker paths, and so I found it difficult to believe that they could and would resist all minor temptations, too.

Perhaps it was simpler, and Tolkien could not have risked having an overweight Elf, or Sam might not have nearly as much awe for them, as he might consider them simply tall hobbits with a little less hair.

The Elves are often considered beautiful by non-Elves (and slender is considered beautiful?), and really that's pretty unfair! Was Tolkien as trapped in the material world as all of pop culture?!

Except, when you look at the other non-human races: Those Hobbits were often fairly portly, and couldn't that be attractive to them? And what about Dwarves? Their concepts of beauty are definitely quite different, I imagine.

Personally, I think there had to be at least one Elf who wanted a little (or a lot of) extra meat on his bones.

[Amras Oronar]

And af course, people living in that days had too do a lot more then people nowdays. Overweight wasn't really a problem untill cars and stuff (1900+?) came arround I believe. Before that only the rich people were fat because they were lazy and didn't do anything, but I believe the average elve didn't sit arround eating all day, now take for instance a Silvan elf as they being discussed most here. They hunted a lot I believe is said. So, I don't think if you eat only normal meat and vegetables and stuff, and not the big greasy **** they sell nowadays, (I don't believe the elves invented fast food yet....) and go on a hunting party thrice a week, you won't have any overweight either

[The Might]

This does go for most inhabitants in Middl-earth, be they Elves or other races. Still some, such as the Hobbits were quite lazy. Among the Elves we can't be sure how much exercise they got, but I suppose they stayed fit. Still, in some cases such as Rivendell the Elves might not have had the possibility to get so much work out as they might have wanted.
I wonder no if lembas makes you fat...

[Boromir88]

Esty I don't think we have to worry about canoncity. Remember the 'merry feast' Elrond has before the Council of Elrond. I don't think we are ever told what foods are there but with dwarves in company and we are told the food was all Frodo's hunger could desire...it surely would have been a mighty feast with I would imagine more than just vegetables. So Rivendell at least had a variety of foods to offer all it's guests.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Amras Oronar

And af course, people living in that days had too do a lot more then people nowdays. Overweight wasn't really a problem untill cars and stuff (1900+?) came arround I believe.

What about Friar Tuck? And Hobbits lazy? It takes a lot of work to make all that food and ale you know. And to harvest pipe-weed. Hobbits were just too short for their weight.

Seriously, this thread is a sign of the times, equating sin with things like eating, drinking and smoking, when sin used to be things like lust and avarice and blasphemy. I doubt Tolkien would have thought food, drink and smoking were sins as he was a committed smoker, enjoyed a beer (the Inklings used to meet in the morning, and morning drinking would alarm today's health freaks) and loved his food. The only thing keeping him from being very overweight will have been that he rode a bike and walked a lot, and he was not slender anyway.

Gillian McKeith would've had a field day with him and he'd be classed as an incredibly evil sinner by today's standards.

[The Saucepan Man]

I'm most definately with Lal on this one. Vegetarianism is not a healthy diet as it generally requires vitamin and mineral supplements and the like (or some revolting meat substitute) to replace those lost through lack of meat (part of our natural diet). And slender does not equal perfection. Beauty is not skin deep and resides in the eye of the beholder.

Hobbits weren't lazy. they just appreciated the finer things in life.

Give me a Hobbit for company any day, rather than one of those dreadful goody-two shoes, too perfect for their own good, wonderful slim, fair and healthy Elves. How insufferable they would be.

Oh, and I believe that Elves hunted from Rivendell. I suspect that even those ultimate teacher's pets, the Vanyar, hunted in Valinor ...

... with Orome.

Sign of the times indeed.

Hmm, I am obviously having ME Survivor withdrawal ...

[Formendacil]

What's this? A dozen posts, and no mention of Salgant of Gondolin, lord of the House of the Harp?

Mind you, we are talking "Book of Lost Tales" here, but he's most definitely described as fat:

Originally Posted by Tolkien, in the Book of Lost Tales,

but Salgant bore [a shield with a harp] of gold, and he alone rode into battle of all the sons of the Gondothlim, and he was heavy and squat.

Whether or not Tolkien had this idea of Elves in the LotR or post-LotR era (Galion is a possible proof for the Hobbit era), he clearly did in the Lost Tales era.

[Anguirel]

Curse you, Formendacil, I was just about to post that!