Saturday, January 05, 2008

Pg. 99: "The Fattening of America"

The current feature at the Page 99 Test: Eric Finkelstein and Laurie Zuckerman's The Fattening of America: How The Economy Makes Us Fat, If It Matters, and What To Do About It.

About the book, from the publisher:
Eric Finkelstein is a renowned health economist who has spent much of his career studying the economics of obesity. Now, with the help of coauthor Laurie Zuckerman, he skillfully reveals the economic drivers behind America's growing obesity epidemic, its impact on society, and what can be done to get the epidemic under control. The Fattening of America brings a complex topic to a broad general audience with engaging examples that are relatable to economists and non-economists alike. Declining food costs and sedentary lifestyles contribute to rising obesity rates, damaging America's economy. It's making our businesses less competitive, pushing good jobs overseas, hurting our military readiness, increasing our taxes, and bankrupting the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In addition, the obesity epidemic has created a tremendous demand for all sorts of new products and services, creating a flourishing new market that the authors have termed "The ObesEconomy." The Fattening of America outlines the issues we must address in order to confront obesity and provides sensible strategies for reducing this burden. It explains how successful obesity prevention strategies, whether driven by business or government, can create an economy that helps America slim down and save money.
Among the advance praise for the book:

"Eric Finkelstein and Laurie Zuckerman show that our entire society profits from making people fat and then either keeping them fat or making them thin again. When you understand how these powerful forces work, you can do a better job of resisting them — and staying healthy."
--Jack Challem, bestselling author of The Food-Mood Solution and Stop Prediabetes Now

"Everyone who eats food in America must read this book. It is a comprehensive guide to how we've become the fattest nation on the planet and how the food industry, in cahoots with the government, makes us one of the least healthy nations."
--Fred Pescatore, MD, MPH, CCN, author of The Hamptons Diet

"The authors have done an excellent job talking to mainstream America about obesity. It brings together all of the latest research and packages it in a way that is engaging for the average person. I very much enjoyed the book and would recommend it for anyone interested in obesity. Well done."
--James O. Hill, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and author of The Step Diet: Count Steps, Not Calories to Lose Weight and Keep It Off Forever

"The Fattening of America is an important book for everyone interested in gaining a better understanding of the underlying causes behind the obesity epidemic and options for addressing it."
--Barry Popkin, Carla Smith Chamblee Distinguished Professor of Global Nutrition at the University of North Carolina

Learn more about The Fattening of America at the publisher's website.

The Page 99 Test: The Fattening of America.

--Marshal Zeringue