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"SIZE IS A SLOPPY and unscientific way to judge someone's health or character" wrote Linda Bacon in her groundbreaking book, "Health at Every Size."

Bacon, who has master's degrees in psychotherapy and exercise science and a doctorate in physiology, based her advice on strong, if controversial, research.

"Let's switch our emphasis to encouraging health-promoting behaviors for all, and let the fat fall where it may," she challenges.

The Health at Every Size movement has been around for years, even before Bacon's new book of the same name was published late last year, and it is gaining strength in mainstream health care. Her book encapsulates many of the movement's key points.

DIETS FAIL

Bacon starts with the premise that diet and exercise don't lead to long-term weight loss.

Sure, many folks lose weight in the short-term when they go on a diet, but most regain that lost weight within five years.

Only up to 5 percent of dieters are successful in the long run, according to data from the National Weight Control Registry and many scientific studies.

Dieting fails, Bacon said, not only because it's hard to do, but because it lowers the metabol-ism so that people burn fewer calories. In dozens of pages, she reviews research showing dieting may raise people's "set point," or natural weight. That may be why many dieters "yo-yo"--each time they lose weight, they regain even more weight.

FITNESS OVER FATNESS

Many scientific studies show that mildly overweight people who are physically fit and eat well actually live longer than underweight couch potatoes.

However, being severely overweight--what doctors call morbid obesity--is associated with health problems and a shorter lifespan.

To be classified as morbidly obese, a 5-foot-4-inch tall woman would have to weigh more than 265 pounds; for a 5-foot-10-inch man, the weight would be 278 pounds.

Bacon writes that much research on weight is flawed. Many studies alleging that being overweight increases the risk of heart attacks, cancer, and diabetes do not take into account fitness and eating patterns, Bacon says.

So, rather than worrying about weight loss, Bacon encourages people to get active and eat well. Her research proves that this approach can improve health.

CHOOSE YOUR STRATEGY