As difficult as it is to accept, this obesity epidemic requiring a national conversation has to be done person by person by person, with as much collective compassion, creativity, insight and patience as humanly possible.

We now must act boldly to combat the obesity epidemic. There are many opportunities across the lifespan, but it will require a shift in social norms and an unprecedented social movement for obesity prevention.

By focusing on health, we can address real health concerns, giving both fat and thin people the support they deserve and avoiding stigmatizing people and worsening the problem.

The national hysteria over obesity has reached a crescendo this week, as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hosts the conference, "Weight of the Nation," in Washington, D.C.