XL at Obesity?

Big Tall
Originally uploaded by wmacphail.

It's official - a report that just came out shows that America leads the world's population in obesity. So what does a company known for selling attire to the category formerly known as the "big and tall" market do? Change the connotation, of course!

Casual Male stores used to be known as Big & Tall Male, but changed their name for this very reason. Their new slogan is "Generation XL" and goes with the tag "why be average when you can be XL." Doesn't that make the whole obesity thing sound a tad permissable? They are playing off the meaning of XL to mean "excel" - almost giving an image of power and strength to bulk. Sure, there is a need for these specialty shops, but with all the media attention around the obesity crisis, is this really a smart time to launch such a campaign?