Fat hardly means unhealthy, group urges at convention

ATLANTA - When people see Phyllis Warr, a short, stout woman who tips the scales at more than 250 pounds, they assume she&#39;s out of shape -- until she starts getting down on the dance floor. <br> <br> Cathy Davis Pannone weighs more than 300 pounds, but in the swimming pool she glides along with a grace that justifies her nickname -- cat. <br> <br> The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance has a new message to sell at its annual convention this week: Being fat doesn&#39;t mean you can&#39;t be fit. <br> <br> Warr says, ``We&#39;re large, we&#39;re in charge, we&#39;re out and we&#39;re proud.&#39;&#39; Warr is a Chicago high school teacher who is among about 200 people attending the convention that runs through Sunday. <br> <br> She adds, ``You have to show the world. You can&#39;t change the world unless you show them.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> By throwing their weight around at yoga and water aerobics classes, dance parties and fashion shows, NAAFA members are hoping to turn the national debate on health from a measure of mere weight to other markers -- blood pressure, cholesterol, lipid levels and the like. <br> <br> Barbara Altman Bruno, a counselor and former NAAFA board member, says people are being told now that fat causes every medical problem. She says that&#39;s much too simplistic. <br> <br> Although conventioneers agree that fat people should exercise more, officials with the Sacramento, California-based organization say they want doctors, trainers and exercise experts to stop focusing on weight loss.