① 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.
② 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.
③ 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.
④ 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.
⑤ 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.
