When putting together an amazon order last month, I needed to tack on 1 more item to get free shipping. I had come across this book in an article about obesity in America (I wish I could remember where!). The author suggested reading this book to gain perspective on the obesity epidemic in America, specifically to learn about what research has been done on dieting and behavior modification , and what research had been on genetics regarding this issue. Although I wanted this book to be 4 or 5 times longer than it was, with even more details, I think that it gives a good overview and introduction to the field of obesity studies, nutrition, dieting, and the general politics of public health studies.

The main premise of this book is to outline a major university study that compared the Atkins low carb diet, to the low calorie LEARN diet that the medical profession generally uses and recommends. I won’t spoil the end- but you can assume the outcome was grim for both parties. Although re-affirming my beliefs on diet and exercise, and offering little hope to those individuals constantly battling body image misconceptions, I think if everyone in America read this book, we would be better off, we would be a healthier nation. It begs a few questions- Do we live in a society that values appearance more than health?  How much should we weigh? What role does free will play in our food choices? Can an overweight person be healthier than a skinny person?