Because Nothing Important Was Happening

That can be the only explanation for this:

Martin admits he's on the South Beach Diet

It was after Paul Martin's wife Sheila asked him to stand sideways and look in the mirror that he decided to go on a diet. Though the Prime Minister thought he looked alright, "that was not her judgment."

Since then, Martin has revealed he's following the low-carbohydrate South Beach Diet -- the same regime former U.S. president Bill Clinton used to shed pounds.

Martin, 66, usually wears a suit jacket that disguises the girth his wife Sheila recently pointed out. But experts say Martin's stomach is pretty much typical for a man his age.

But at least one expert is worried how the diet might affect Martin's ability to work at his peak. "Cutting carbohydrates means he's also cutting cognitive functions," registered dietician Beth Mansfield told the Canadian Press.