Since 1960, the percentage of American adults who are overweight or obese has risen from 46 percent to 74 percent.1 The clinically overweight are those with a body mass index (BMI)2 between 25 and 30; the clinically obese have a BMI greater than 30. Not only are heavier individuals at greater risk for coronary heart disease, hypertension and other health problems, but, according to obesity specialists Rebecca Puhl and Chelsea Heuer, are "highly stigmatized ... [and this] weight bias translates into inequities in employment settings, health-care facilities and educational institutions ... leaving [them] vulnerable to social injustice, unfair treatment and impaired quality of life." 3