Are you fat? Then Steve Siebold has this message for you: It's all your fault.

If you want to get healthy, start thinking like a fit person, not a fat one, he says.

In his new, self-published book Die Fat or Get Tough (London House; $24.97; www.diefatbook.com), the motivational speaker and part-time Boynton Beach resident writes about 101 differences in thinking between the fat and the fit.

A sample of ``fat thinking,'' according to Siebold:

Fat people see themselves as failures.

Fat people are mentally disorganized.

Fat people quit easily.

We asked Siebold what's up with this approach.

Q: Has anyone who's overweight called you a heartless meanie yet?

A: The book just came out, so not yet, but I'm sure it's going to happen. The media has beaten up on me, though. I was on a New York radio show and the woman introduced me by saying: ``This guy hates fat people.''

Q: Why the hard-line approach in your book?

A: I wasn't trying to be mean. But there's so much political correctness and hand holding when it comes to weight. People say it's society's fault. Or it's the cortisol. Or big restaurant portions. But nobody puts doughnuts in your mouth except you.

Q: You admit you had a weight problem. How'd that happen?

A: I'm a motivational speaker for Fortune 500 companies, and I travel all the time. I stopped paying attention to what I ate and gained 40 pounds. I looked at how I was thinking and became conscious of what I ate and dropped the extra pounds in 12 weeks.

Q: Why did you write: ``Fat people see themselves as failures''?

A: Because they do, at least in the area of losing weight. Look at Oprah. Successful in so many ways but not that way. She's looking for some magic, some pill or portion that will work. It's none of that.

Q: Are we our own worst enemy?

A: I've never seen people as self-delusional as they are with their weight. They don't want to take responsibility. Losing weight isn't rocket science. Do it or don't.

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