Like a fat kid loves cake...

Loved this article in the NY Times today. I'm surprised how much I loved it, given that I have read articles exactly like it before. The finding that fat is not necessarily unhealthy is far from new. I think the difference is that now I have a year of obesophobic MPH education under my belt, equipping me with the harrowing statistics about fat America, and the tools to fight the *epidemic.* However, as this article points out, "fat" is not necessarily unhealthy, and our definition for "obese" is fairly arbitrary and not rooted strongly in any other measures of physical well-being.

So why so much attention and resources dedicated to fighting the alleged obesity epidemic???

The answer is simple: Our society hates fat people. Rather than admitting that everyone is different, and some individuals are naturally heavier than others, especially across different racial and ethnic lines, we must make overarching, black and white claims about obesity. I am not saying that obesity, especially childhood obesity, is not a problem. Obesity is associated with many chronic ailments, including certain cancers, asthma, sleep apnea, depression, and diabetes, among others. I'm also not disagreeing that the poor deal with this problem disproportionately, as fast food is often the cheapest and most available in underserved neighborhoods.

But the truth of the matter remains: not all fat people are unhealthy. Health is a state of mental and physical well-being, not a number on a scale. Not all fat people are lazy. Not all overweight people deserve the label fat. Maybe it's time we stopped making people feel bad about their bodies, and start giving them the tools they need to be healthy.