An activist against denigration of fat people is questioning the belief that obesity is connected to bad health.
Substantia Jones Photo: SUPPLIED
Substantia Jones is in New Zealand to speak at a conference on fat issues.
She said fat people were discriminated against and were seldom in power.
Ms Jones said studies showed obesity was not a sign of ill health, and most people who tried to diet were unsuccessful in losing weight.
"The failure rate if weight is part of the goal is so significant, and people tend to throw the baby out with the bath water, so take that out of the equation if you want to pursue health, pursue health without that and you're a lot more likely to be successful."
Ms Jones said fat people were often ridiculed and misrepresented and that needed to change.
