One more serious issue to point out about this whole obesity obsession - 
this kind of excessive state and medical-sanctioned focus on impossible 
standards of physical appearance and performance is in fact a known 
aspect of fascism. It indicates a degree of social intolerance which is 
becoming extreme.

These kind of 'standards' have been used deliberately and systematically 
to denigrate and oppress women, non-Europeans, religious minorities and 
persons with disabilities (among others) for centuries.

The original history underlying this probably dates back to Biblical 
times, where a person's physical characteristics were routinely 
associated with either 'good' or 'evil'. This became highly evident in 
Europe during the Burning Times. The Nazis escalated this form of 
persecution to an extreme degree during their reign.

This is a no-win situation and the worst form of victim-blaming - 
although the person affected may actually be  primarily a 'victim'  of 
society's scorn over physical attributes which are entirely beyond their 
control and which may  not even specifically be a health issue. In the 
end it boils down to other peoples' sense of aesthetics being offended 
as opposed to being a valid indicator of someone's  true state of 
physical well-being.

I for one find this obsessive, narrow, judgmental, out of context 
official focus on certain physical characteristics (to the exclusion of 
most other personal attributes) to be highly alarming. People need to be 
valued in all their diversity, no matter what color, shape or size they 
may come in.

Graeme

Adam P. Coutts wrote:
> an innovative individual protective mechanism for the impending 
> obesity epidemic! I think it's US based.
>
> http://www.harrietcarter.com/Detail.cfm?pth=13&Cat=111&prod=4594&sr=1
>
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