Fat of the Land

Tired of being the butt of jokes and worse, members of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance is declaring war on the weight-loss industry. "We're living in the middle of a witch hunt, and fat people are the witches," said Marilyn Wann, a member of the group. The association's annual convention starts Wednesday in Newark, New Jersey, and attendees will be treated to a bulging buffet of workshops on big topics like setting boundaries and yoga. The event highlights the group's "fat liberation" agenda, which posits that fad diets and bariatric surgery -- which Wann calls "stomach amputation" -- are unnatural and even dangerous. "Some people act like obesity is the next worst thing after terrorism," said a NAAFA spokeswoman.
-- Lewis Wallace