Excerpt: The Cleveland Clinic doesn't hire smokers -- part of its effort to 'walk the talk' about healthy lifestyles, Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove said in a recent chat with the Health Blog. But, according to Cosgrove, it would be illegal to apply a similar standard to people who are obese, because they're protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. 'I can't decide that I'm not going to hire somebody because they're 400 pounds,' he said. 'We don't hire smokers, and that's perfectly legal.' Cosgrove questioned that rule, suggesting it could hinder efforts to lower the nation's obesity rate. 'We are protecting people who are overweight rather than giving people a social stigma,' he said.