Being overweight is unhealthy -- is this a fact? Or merely a common assumption? Considering the bad rap obesity has these days -- as an epidemic and national emergency, among other disastrous associations -- most of us will accept the overweight/unhealthy connection as fact. But according to The New York Times, a new movement out there is pushing for the acceptance of fat and the end to so-called false fat assumptions.

The movement, generally known as fat acceptance, is lead by a group of activists and academics who want to change the way the world sees fat people. What do they believe in? That someone can be healthy at any weight, and assuming a fat person is unhealthy is as mis-guided as assuming a thin person is healthy. And instead of focusing on weight loss, the diet industry should be emphasizing nutrition, fitness, body image and measures of health other than the numbers on the scale. Read the full article for more info.

What do you think? Can you be fit and fat? Healthy and hefty? Is weight alone an accurate prediction of health?

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As fabulous as we at That's Fit think this blog is, the truth is there are hundreds of wonderful blogs on healthy living to be seen all over the blogosphere. So in this feature, Fit Links, we'll introduce you to some that have caught our eye.

Fat acceptance blogs are nothing if not controversial. They hold a strong stance that not every body is made to be thin and that loving and accepting your curves is the only way to find peace with yourself. But some experts think that accepting the skin you're in, when that skin falls into the category of obese, is dangerous thinking. The NYT recently wrote an article about fat acceptance bloggers, it's got people in the "fatosphere" (their word, not mine) talking.

Big Fat Deal, which I've read for years, focuses on weight in the media -- both good and bad. Big Fat Blog also covers media topics, but takes more of an activist stance, and readers can also join forums for further discussion. Kate Harding keeps things interesting at Shapely Prose, where it seems like there is always something brewing in the comments section. Red No. 3 tackles fat acceptance criticism with his cheeky Fat Hate Bingo.

Interesting reading, whether you agree with them or not. What do you think?

Have a blog you'd like to see featured in Fit Links? Leave a note for us in comments!

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There's an interesting discussion going on over at Diet-Blog about the The BMI Project. Started by a blogger who discusses fat acceptance issues, the BMI Project is a set of personal photos that include height, weight, and BMI.

BMI is often criticized as being a flawed tool when it comes to measuring cardiovascular risk or even physical fitness. Because BMI doesn't take into account body composition, it's especially inaccurate for those who are highly muscular (athletes, body builders) or those who are especially thin, but have low muscle tone. Experts are beginning to believe that a waist-to-hip ratio or simply a measurement of the waist circumference may be a better way to assess cardiovascular risk.

The debate at Diet-Blog stems from whether The BMI Project exposes BMI as a flawed measurement, or whether it appears to be generally accurate. It's a spirited discussion, and I'm curious to see what you think. To understand better why BMI is not very accurate for athletes, check out this photo of an accomplished triathlete, whose BMI qualifies her as overweight.

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