Fat nation : a history of obesity in America / Jonathan Engel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Engel, Jonathan, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Obesity--United States.

Obesity.

History.

Lifestyles--Health aspects.

United States.

Food habits--United States.

Food habits.

Food industry and trade--United States.

Food industry and trade.

Nutrition--United States.

Nutrition.

Lifestyles--Health aspects--United States.

Lifestyles.

Obesity--history.

History, 20th Century.

History, 21st Century.

Obesity--United States--History--20th century.

Obesity--United States--History--21st century.

Medical Subjects:

Obesity--history.

History, 20th Century.

History, 21st Century.

United States.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

v, 209 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Maryland : Rowman & Littlefield, [2018]

Summary:

"Fat Nation is a social history of obesity in the United States since the second World War. In confronting this familiar topic from a historical perspective, Jonathan Engel attempts to show that obesity is a symptom of complex changes that have transpired over the past half century to our food, our living habits, our life patterns, our built environments, and our social interactions. He offers readers solid grounding in the known science underlying obesity (genetic set points, complex endocrine feedback loops, neurochemical messengering) but then makes the novel argument that obesity is a result of the interaction of our genes with our environment. That is, our bodies have always been programmed to become obese, but until recently never had the opportunity to do so. Now, with cheap calories ubiquitous (particularly in the form of sucrose), unwalkable physical spaces, deteriorating rituals and norms surrounding eating, and the withering of cooking skills, nearly every American daily confronts the challenge of not putting on weight. Given the outcomes, though, for those who are obese, Engel encourages us to address the problems and offers suggestions to help remedy the problem."--Amazon.com.

"Fat Nation is a social history of obesity in the United States since the second World War. In confronting this familiar topic from a historical perspective, Jonathan Engel attempts to show that obesity is a symptom of complex changes that have transpired over the past half century to our food, our living habits, our life patterns, our built environments, and our social interactions. He offers readers solid grounding in the known science underlying obesity (genetic set points, complex endocrine feedback loops, neurochemical messengering) but then makes the novel argument that obesity is a result of the interaction of our genes with our environment. That is, our bodies have always been programmed to become obese, but until recently never had the opportunity to do so. Now, with cheap calories ubiquitous (particularly in the form of sucrose), unwalkable physical spaces, deteriorating rituals and norms surrounding eating, and the withering of cooking skills, nearly every American daily confronts the challenge of not putting on weight. Given the outcomes, though, for those who are obese, Engel encourages us to address the problems and offers suggestions to help remedy the problem. "--Amazon.com.

Contents:

An old problem

Whence cometh fat?

The unwalkable landscape

Changing lives

Changing food/changing meals

Addicted to food

Finding the off switch

Exercise, drugs, and surgery

Self control

Disparate impacts

What is to be done?

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 193-195) and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Engel, Jonathan. Fat nation.

ISBN:

9781538117743

1538117746

OCLC:

1052505868