One of the last socially acceptable prejudices is that against the obese. Fed by a steady stream of diet books, TV shows, and even documentaries, the stereotypes are constantly reinforced; overweight people are heavy simply because they eat too many Big Macs and french fries; they're desperately lonely and gorge themselves out of despair; they're couch potatoes who just refuse to exercise. These are, of course, caricatures of a complex problem that affects millions of people.

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