The Bacon followers were told to eat when hungry and to embrace feelings of fullness. They were also instructed on making healthy food choices and to find some physical activity that they could enjoy on a regular basis. There were no forbidden foods, nor were they forced to exercise. The program also had self-esteem boosters and emphasized confidence-building in their existing bodies.

At the two-year mark, both groups weighed approximately the same. The traditional weight-loss group had lost weight after six months, but then regained it over the following two years. The Health at Every Size group exhibited healthier blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and had been doing more regular physical activity than their traditionally dieting sisters. Bacon was not surprised when apprised of the results. “Saying everybody needs to be the same weight is like saying all people should be the same height,” she said.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT

Those who support a more traditional evaluation of health had ammunition to back them up as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided statistics to the revered Journal of the American Medical Association for a 2004 report. That data claimed that 400,000 obese and overweight Americans died each year.

It was only later that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had a sheepish confession: the methodology used to obtain that information was faulty. When it re-calculated with new data and a different method, it discovered that 26,000 overweight or obese people a year died from their condition, most of them with a body mass index (BMI) well over 35.  Most overweight people are in the lower range of 30 to 35, the CDC admitted.

To put it in perspective, the 26,000 obese people dying were less than those who fell victim to car accidents, gunshots or alcohol abuse.