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You must lose weight, a doctor told Sarah Bramblette, advising a 1,200-calorie-a-day diet. But Ms. Bramblette had a basic question: How much do I weigh? The doctor’s scale went up to 350 pounds, and she was heavier than that. If she did not know the number, how would she know if the diet was working? The doctor had no answer. (Kolata, 9/25)

The 37-year-old woman began to weep as she told her story to Dr. Michael L. Parks. Her job required her to be on her feet all day, Dr. Parks recalled, and she was in constant pain from knee arthritis. She had seen an orthopedic surgeon, hoping to discuss knee replacement, but he dismissed her complaints, telling her she was too fat and should just go on a diet. (Kolata, 9/2)