Download or read book Obesity The Biography written by Sander L. Gilman and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2010-05-13 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: According to the World Health Organization we are in the midst of a global obesity crisis. Is obesity a disease itself or a symptom of underlying physiological or psychological illnesses? Is it a sign of social excess and therefore not a disease in the medical sense at all? Is it really 'new'? Sander L. Gilman, a leading authority in the social and cultural history of the body, presents a fascinating account of the history of obesity, looking at the changing attitudes towards the body, from regarding it as 'God's temple' to more mechanical and practical concerns from the Enlightenment onwards. In the eighteenth century obesity was understood as a problem of the affluent; today the affluent are more likely to have a personal trainer and a healthier diet, and it is the poorer classes who are more likely to be overweight. Gilman considers obesity in many contexts - including a chapter on obesity in China and the impact of modernization and Westernization on this very different culture. Taking the issue up to the present day, Gilman examines the wider political and social implications obesity raises, considering whether obesity should be cured by diet or surgery, by psychotherapy or economic improvement, by healthier food choices or by social relocation.

Download or read book Childhood Obesity in America written by Laura Dawes and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2014-06-09 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A century ago, a plump child was considered a healthy child. No longer. An overweight child is now known to be at risk for maladies ranging from asthma to cardiovascular disease, and obesity among American children has reached epidemic proportions. Childhood Obesity in America traces the changes in diagnosis and treatment, as well as popular understanding, of the most serious public health problem facing American children today. Excess weight was once thought to be something children outgrew, or even a safeguard against infectious disease. But by the mid-twentieth century, researchers recognized early obesity as an indicator of lifelong troubles. Debates about its causes and proper treatment multiplied. Over the century, fat children were injected with animal glands, psychoanalyzed, given amphetamines, and sent to fat camp. In recent decades, an emphasis on taking personal responsibility for one’s health, combined with commercial interests, has affected the way the public health establishment has responded to childhood obesity—and the stigma fat children face. At variance with this personal emphasis is the realization that societal factors, including fast food, unsafe neighborhoods, and marketing targeted at children, are strongly implicated in weight gain. Activists and the courts are the most recent players in the obesity epidemic’s biography. Today, obesity in this age group is seen as a complex condition, with metabolic, endocrine, genetic, psychological, and social elements. Laura Dawes makes a powerful case that understanding the cultural history of a disease is critical to developing effective health policy.

Download or read book Fat written by Sander L. Gilman and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-05-02 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The modern world is faced with a terrifying new ‘disease’, that of ‘obesity’. As people get fatter, we have come to see excess weight as unhealthy, morally repugnant and socially damaging. Fat it seems has long been a national problem and each age, culture and tradition have all defined a point beyond which excess weight is unacceptable, ugly or corrupting. This fascinating new book by Sander Gilman looks at the interweaving of fact and fiction about obesity, tracing public concern from the mid-nineteenth century to the modern day. He looks critically at the source of our anxieties, covering issues such as childhood obesity, the production of food, media coverage of the subject and the emergence of obesity in modern China. Written as a cultural history, the book is particularly concerned with the cultural meanings that have been attached to obesity over time and to explore the implications of these meanings for wider society. The history of these debates is the history of fat in culture, from nineteenth-century opera to our global dieting obsession. Fat, A Cultural History of Obesity is a vivid and absorbing cultural guide to one of the most important topics in modern society.

Download or read book Fat Nation written by Jonathan Engel and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2018-11-30 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The diet and weight-loss industry is worth $66 billion – billion!! The estimated annual health care costs of obesity-related illness are 190 billion or nearly 21% of annual medical spending in the United States. But how did we get here? Is this a battle we can’t win? What changes need to be made in order to scale back the incidence of obesity in the US, and, indeed, around the world? Here, Jonathan Engel reviews the sources of the problem and offers the science behind our modern propensity toward obesity. He offers a plan for helping address the problem, but admits that it is, indeed, an uphill battle. Nevertheless, given the magnitude of the costs in years of life and vigor lost, it is a battle worth fighting. 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.

Download or read book Obesity and Diabetes written by Anthony H. Barnett and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2005-04-08 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Obesity has become the most common chronic disease of the present day, with significant increases in prevalence in populations across the world and all age groups. This has resulted in a dramatic increase in obesity-related metabolic and cardiovascular complications, making it an important public health issue. Type 2 diabetes associated with obesity or 'diabesity' is today the most common form of type 2 diabetes. It is also associated with a number of other cardiovascular risk factors, which constitute the metabolic syndrome. Effective management of 'diabesity' is crucial to the reduction of morbidity and premature mortality due to cardiovascular disease. This book comprises chapters written by leading international experts on various aspects of obesity-related diabetes. As a practical reference guide, it is suitable for all professionals with an interest in this field. Emerging problems such as childhood 'diabesity' and the impact of obesity on polycystic ovary syndrome will be of interest not only to paediatricians and endocrinologists, but also to general practitioners and other healthcare professionals. The contemporary approach to the clinical assessment of obesity and its management in both primary and secondary care settings is also described.

Download or read book Obesity written by and published by . This book was released on 1976 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Fat History written by Peter N. Stearns and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2002-09-01 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The modern struggle against fat cuts deeply and pervasively into American culture. Dieting, weight consciousness, and widespread hostility toward obesity form one of the fundamental themes of modern life. Fat History explores the meaning of fat in contemporary Western society and illustrates how progressive changes, such as growth in consumer culture, increasing equality for women, and the refocusing of women's sexual and maternal roles have influenced today's obsession with fat. Brought up-to-date with a new preface and filled with narrative anecdotes, Fat History explores fat's transformation from a symbol of health and well-being to a sign of moral, psychological, and physical disorder.

Download or read book Obesity in America 1850 1939 written by Kerry Segrave and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2008-08-29 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a study of obesity in America from 1850 to 1939, concentrating on how the condition was viewed, studied, and treated. It examines the images and stereotypes that were associated with fatness, the various remedies that were proposed for the condition, and the often bizarre theories used to explain it, including the idea that ordinary tap water was fattening. From about 1850 to 1879, obesity existed almost exclusively among the upper class, and it received very little medical attention. From 1880 to 1919, doctors, scientists, and other health professionals began to present a coherent theory of obesity. By 1920, the condition was recognized as a big enough health issue that various groups, ranging from private employers to public health officials, began developing some of the nation's first organized weight reduction programs.

Download or read book Obesity and Depression in the Enlightenment written by Anita Guerrini and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 2000 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Medical doctor George Cheyne, little known today, was among the most quoted men in eighteenth-century Britain. A 450-pound behemoth renowned for his Falstaffian appetites, he nevertheless advocated moderation to his neurotic clientele. Cheyne was an early admirer of Isaac Newton and a writer on mathematics and natural philosophy, yet he also linked science and mysticism in his writings. This inventor of the all-lettuce diet was both an author of learned tomes and, to his patients, a fellow sufferer who struggled with obesity and depression. Scientist and mystic, patient and healer, libertine and scholar, Cheyne embodies the contradictions and obsessions of the Age of Enlightenment. Anita Guerrini reconstructs the ideas, events, and interconnections in Cheyne’s era and shows how Cheyne’s life and work uniquely epitomize the transition between premodern and modern culture.

Download or read book International Textbook of Obesity written by Per Björntorp and published by Wiley-Blackwell. This book was released on 2001-06-15 with total page 568 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The prevalence of obesity has now reached such proportions that in many parts of the world it is one of the most dominant health problems. Obesity leads to a number of serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke and cancer as well as psychological problems and a poor quality of life. Obesity research is now very active and understanding of the disease has greatly increased. The International Textbook of Obesity offers a definitive coverage of the area looking at epidemiology, causes, current research and management. * Gives an up to date account of the field * Edited by a leading expert in the area * Contributions from an impressive array of authors including many from young researchers giving new perspectives on the issues This will be a lasting reference for a wide range of academic and professional health care workers, including obesity research specialists, diebetologists, nutritionists, practising physicians and endocrinologists.

Download or read book This Is Big written by Marisa Meltzer and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2020-04-14 with total page 7 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From a contributor to The Cut, one of Vogue's most anticipated books "bravely and honestly" (Busy Philipps) talks about weight loss and sheds a light on Weight Watchers founder Jean Nidetch: "a triumphant chronicle" (New York Times). Marisa Meltzer began her first diet at the age of five. Growing up an indoors-loving child in Northern California, she learned from an early age that weight was the one part of her life she could neither change nor even really understand. Fast forward nearly four decades. Marisa, also a contributor to the New Yorker and the New York Times, comes across an obituary for Jean Nidetch, the Queens, New York housewife who founded Weight Watchers in 1963. Weaving Jean's incredible story as weight loss maven and pathbreaking entrepreneur with Marisa's own journey through Weight Watchers, she chronicles the deep parallels, and enduring frustrations, in each woman's decades-long efforts to lose weight and keep it off. The result is funny, unexpected, and unforgettable: a testament to how transformation goes far beyond a number on the scale.

Download or read book Cholera The Biography written by Christopher Hamlin and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2009-10-08 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cholera is a dangerous and frightening disease that can kill within hours. Chris Hamlin not only tells how the bacterial cause of cholera was discovered, but describes the experience of different countries, some of which continue to struggle with the disease today. Cholera is part of the Oxford series, Biographies of Diseases.

Download or read book The Obesity Epidemic written by Michael Gard and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a broad ranging review of current thinking on obesity, the authors criticise much of the existing research for being biased by ideological and moral assumptions.

Download or read book Fast Food the Obesity Epidemic written by Autumn Libal and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-11-17 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Obesity—the state of being very overweight—is more than a problem in the world today; it's a crisis. One out of every three adults is obese. Childhood obesity is a major health concern as well. Experts agree that fast food is one of the most significant factors behind bigger bodies. For many people, fast food has become more than a quick way to grab a meal; it has become a way of life. Learn how fast food and the fast-food industry have shaped not only our bodies but also our lifestyles. Discover how to fight the fast-food industry's hold over the world's diet.

Download or read book The Surgeon General s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation 2010 written by and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the 2001 Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity, former Surgeon General David Satcher, MD, PhD, warned of the negative effects of the increasing weight of American citizens and outlined a public health response to reverse the trend. The Surgeon General plans to strengthen and expand this blueprint for action created by her predecessor. Although the country has made some strides since 2001, the prevalence of obesity, obesity-related diseases, and premature death remains too high.

Download or read book Obsessed written by Mika Brzezinski and published by Weinstein Books. This book was released on 2013-05-07 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The New York Times best-selling author and cohost of MSNBC's Morning Joe describes her own struggles with food and body image and offers insights from notable people in all fields to discuss their successes with food and diet.

Download or read book Fat Girl written by Judith Moore and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2005-03-03 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Top Ten Nonfiction Book of 2005 (Entertainment Weekly) For any woman who has ever had a love/hate relationship with food and with how she looks; for anyone who has knowingly or unconsciously used food to try to fill the hole in his heart or soothe the craggy edges of his psyche, Fat Girl is a brilliantly rendered, angst-filled coming-of-age story of gain and loss. From the lush descriptions of food that call to mind the writings of M.F.K. Fisher at her finest, to the heartbreaking accounts of Moore’s deep longing for family and a sense of belonging and love, Fat Girl stuns and shocks, saddens and tickles. “Searingly honest without affectation… Moore emerged from her hellish upbringing as a kind of softer Diane Arbus, wielding pen instead of camera.”—The Seattle Times “Frank, often funny—intelligent and entertaining.”—People (starred review) “God, I love this book. It is wise, funny, painful, revealing, and profoundly honest.”—Anne Lamott “Judith Moore grabs the reader by the collar, and shakes up our notion of life in the fat lane.”—David Sedaris “Stark… lyrical, and often funny, Judith Moore ambushes you on the very first page, and in short order has lifted you up and broken your heart.”—Newsweek “A slap-in-the-face of a book—courageous, heartbreaking, fascinating, and darkly funny.”—Augusten Burroughs