Thinner isn’t always better. A number of studies have (1)_____ that normal-weight people are in fact at higher risk of some diseases compared to those who are overweight. And there are health conditions for which being overweight is actually (2) _____. For example, heavier women are less likely to develop calcium deficiency than thin women. (3)_____ among the elderly, being somewhat overweight is often an (4)_____ of good health.
Of even greater (5)_____ is the fact that obesity turns out to be very difficult to define. It is often defined (6)_____ body mass index, or BMI. BMI (7)_____ body mass divided by the square of height. An adult with a BMI of 18 to 25 is often considered to be normal weight. Between 25 and 30 is overweight. And over 30 is considered obese. Obesity, (8)_____, can be divided into moderately obese, severely obese, and very severely obese.
While such numerical standards seem (9)_____, they are not. Obesity is probably less a matter of weight than body fat. Some people with a high BMI are in fact extremely fit, (10)_____ others with a low BMI may be in poor (11)_____. For example, many collegiate and professional football players (12)_____ as obese, though their percentage body fat is low. Conversely, someone with a small frame may have high body fat but a (13)_____ BMI.
Today we have a(n) (14)_____ to label obesity as a disgrace. The overweight are sometimes (15)_____ in the media with their faces covered. Stereotypes (16)_____ with obesity include laziness, lack of will power, and lower prospects for success. Teachers, employers, and health professionals have been shown to harbor biases against the obese. (17)_____ very young children tend to look down on the overweight, and teasing about body build has long been a problem in schools.
Negative attitudes toward obesity, (18)_____ in health concerns, have stimulated a number of anti-obesity (19) _____. My own hospital system has banned sugary drinks from its facilities. Many employers have instituted weight loss and fitness initiatives. Michelle Obama has launched a high-visibility campaign (20)_____ childhood obesity, even claiming that it represents our greatest national security threat.
