'm always sure to get enough protein and I try to not have much
  pasta/potantoes/snacks/sugar (100% whole wheat is ok), eat my
  veggies sometimes. Not a health nut but I'm "aware" of what I'm
  eating. *I don't worry about artificial things - I got no
  problem with artificial stuff. *Everything's all natural in the
  end, really, and everything's also been processed. :P I've
  mostly maintained my body weight since college, with many ups
  and downs, including a couple of years where I could use my
  stomach as a shelf. When you can rest your arm on your stomach
  like a pregnant woman does... and you're not pregnant.. it might
  be time to cut*something*out of the diet :P I could find a pic
  of me somewhere that's not so different from your friend. *I
  should post it, just to accept the fat guy hiding within - the
  one that drank lots of beer and used 10 sugars in his coffee and
  ate non-stop Cheese its or Doritos or whatever... drank full
  sugar soda... , just waiting to burst out onto the scene again
  :)