There is abundant evidence that body weight is important to health, but it is overly simplistic to think smaller bodies are healthier and larger bodies are unhealthy. There are two primary pathways that link body weight to health outcomes: the negative physical effects of having a very high body fat percentage, and the negative psychosocial impacts of internal and external weight stigma. Both pathways contribute significant health risk. Because the stigma associated with heavier weights is so strong, all discussions of weight and health must be handled with great care. We can do more harm than good when we focus solely on the physical pathway and negative effects of excess body fat. It is worth emphasizing that weight is only one small aspect of physical health, and physical health is only one aspect of overall health. Instead of focusing on weight as a key indicator of health, we should consider that messages focused on body size or body fat percentage can often do more harm than good. For people who might benefit from reducing their body fat, it is not simply a matter of will power. Many factors impact health behavior and influence the likelihood of successfully adopting new habits. All discussions of body composition and health should be founded on an appreciation for the complex biopsychosocial nature of health.