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David F. Williamson, PhD

JAMA. 1999;281:278-280.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

In the summer of 1957, my pediatrician became so concerned about my weight that he convinced my mother that I should begin taking pills to curb my appetite. I was 7 years old and weighed 70 pounds with a goal of reaching 60 pounds. I still remember how those pills made me feel; I had no appetite and felt chronically anxious. Most remarkable to me that summer was that my hands were always cold. I did reach my target weight but the chronic anxiety continued and the pills were stopped. I promptly regained all the weight that I had lost.

Since my childhood in the 1950s obesity has become substantially more prevalent in the United States,¹ despite high levels of reported efforts to lose weight.² Paradoxically, over this same period, total and cardiovascular mortality have decreased, along with the prevalence of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.³ Such trends . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Author Affiliation: Division of Diabetes Translation (K-68), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga.

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