It's all about the O

I guess I come down on the "be honest" side. You can't persuade people to change unless you make them understand what the problem is:

Is it OK for doctors and parents to tell children and teens they're fat?

That seems to be at the heart of a debate over whether to replace the fuzzy language favored by the U.S. government with the painful truth -- if kids are obese or overweight, telling them.

That doesn't have to mean being deliberately cruel and insensitive, as in, "Hey, fatty, better put down that ice cream cone"  or, "Move it along, chubby." And it would be appropriate to approach the subject a little more delicately with children than with teen-agers. But too many of our kids are in terrible shape, and the problem won't be solved by trying to protect their self-esteem.