>>BTW - this is interesting from a cultural and societal POV, but doesn't
>>say much about body weight as related to health.
>
>http://www.comlab.ox.ac.uk/oucl/users/sharon.curtis/BigFolks/health_FAQ.html
>
>
>excellent FAQ on the topic of health and fatness, to anyone who is
>interested.
>

I didn't read much of it, but it didn't seem "excellent" to me, except
perhaps as a window into the incredible amount of rationaliization being
done by overweight people.  This FAQ is associated with the
soc.support.fat-acceptance and alt.support.big-folks news groups.

For instance, the very first question is:

> How healthy or unhealthy is fat *really*?

and the answer includes this gem:

>For example, there is the common view that going to the gym and
>lifting weights is healthy, but when considering fat people who are
>constantly carrying their body weight around with them, the common
>attitude is that it is unhealthy.

This person is actually trying to argue that being overweight is a form of
working out!

Someone else recently wrote:

>My point is how are people suppose to just know what the best
>nutritional diet is?  I thought I was doing every thing right by eating a
>low fat diet and exercising.

Yes, it's really sad how our government and other authorities continue to
give out advice that is clearly not healthy, at least for some.  That's one
reason why some of us are doing a little "paleo-activism."  (I'm still
working on that, by the way.)