I n my chosen profession, there are two schools of thought. On one side of the spectrum, people talk a lot about giving up on dieting and accepting them- selves at any weight. They teach you to eat what you want, when you want, without direct regard to nutri- tion or exercise. The focus is mainly on loving and accepting yourself at any weight, without much emphasis on losing it. On the other side of the spec- trum, there are those who say we should lose weight at any cost. They teach us that we should avoid parties and not eat any junk food or have any treats in our homes. These teachers teach that being fit is the way you can be healthy and happy without much regard for the emotional components and obstacles. This is where gastric bypass, obsessive exercising, and severe dieting can get completely out of control and cause much emotional damage for the sake of being “physi- cally healthy.” I am right in the middle of both of these ideas. I believe we must accept ourselves and love ourselves; we must stop judging our bodies so harshly. I don’t believe we have to accept being fat. Being overweight means we are eating too much and there is usually a painful emotional reason for this. I feel that if we can discover the reasons why we eat, we can change our 220 • If IAm So Smart, Why Can’t I Lose Weight?