Sally E. Smith

Sally E. Smith is the executive director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, a Sacramento, California, organization that works to reduce discrimination against obese people. In the following viewpoint, Smith argues that the health risks of obesity have been exaggerated and that attempts at weight loss, including diets and drug treatments, are usually unsuccessful and are often medically dangerous. Rather than attempting to make obese people thin, she asserts, researchers should focus on finding ways to maintain and improve their health.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What percentage of dieters does Smith say regain weight?
2. According to the author, what standards has the Federal Trade Commission established to regulate maintenance claims by diet programs?
3. As Smith describes it, how does the diet industry prey on the low self-esteem of overweight people...