Obesity Campaigner's "Death Threats" Over Jordin Sparks Remarks  6/4/07

An obesity campaigner who criticized American Idol winner Jordin Sparks' weight has received death threats over her remarks.

MeMe Roth, of the National Action Against Obesity group in the U.S., admits she has been the victim of hate-mail ever since her appearance on a TV show, with fans of the star "calling for my death".

But Roth refuses to retract her opinions, and insists 17-year-old Sparks is in need of severe weight loss, but denies she referred to the singer as "obese".

She tells The Scoop, "When I look at Jordin I see diabetes, I see heart disease, I see high cholesterol.

"That's what's so sad about this - she is not the vision of health - she is the vision of 'unhealth'. Her extra weight is a reflection of today's society and a culture where many of our children have compromised health due to unhealthful food choices and inactivity ... We have to stop with the 'baby fat,' 'curvy,' 'goddess' euphemisms and own this child health crisis."