The Fattening of America: How The Economy Makes Us Fat, If It Matters, and What To Do About It [Hardcover]

Eric A. Finkelstein (Author), Laurie Zuckerman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 9, 2008

In The Fattening of America, renowned health economist Eric Finkelstein, along with business writer Laurie Zuckerman, reveal how the U.S. economy has become the driving force behind our expanding waistlines. Blending theory, research, and engaging personal anecdotes the authors discuss how declining food costs—especially for high-calorie, low-nutrient foods—and an increasing usage of technology, which make Americans more sedentary, has essentially led us to eat more calories than we burn off.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Everyone knows Americans are growing fatter, but health economist Finkelstein crunches the economic figures behind the nation's obesity epidemic and the results aren't pretty. Along with health-care writer Zuckerman, researcher Finkelstein delves into how modern technology reduces the cost of producing higher-calorie processed goods, decreases our activity level and puts our health in danger. Finkelstein debunks myths about the long-range cost of food production and consumption and scrutinizes the impact of genetics and U.S. fiscal policy on the nation's waistline, frequently using economics metrics in his analysis. Generous with summaries of major points, Finkelstein simplifies current stats to explain how the country's thunderous weight gain is straining Medicare and Medicaid and hurting our military readiness. The only positive effect he sees from the obesity epidemic is the creation of the ObesEconomy—a market sustained by gyms, diet drugs and other products and services designed to curb weight gain. Horrified by studies that reveal that obese children have a quality of life similar to children with cancer, the investigatory economist even throws in some health tips on dropping pounds. Despite a frequent reliance on economic tools and indicators, this combination study/motivational guide makes for a pleasant educational read, comparable to a vegetable puree snuck into a dessert. (Jan.)
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Review

“Fatty, fat, fat, fat,” chants Bart Simpson. He has a point. Americans are getting fatter. But health economist Finkelstein (public health economics program, Research Triangle Inst.; coauthor, with Phaedra S. Corso and Ted R. Miller, The Incidence and Economic Burden of Injuries in the United States) and business writer Zuckerman (coauthor with Mary Cantando, Nine Lives: Stories of Women Business Owners Landing on Their Feet) analyze the finances behind the fat. They trace some of the familiar causes of the bulging American waistline that Greg Critzer identified in Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World. They weigh in on the economics of obesity, which they trace back to predictable sources such as school lunch rooms, fast food, television, commuting, and working moms. Then they target some surprising causes, including health insurance. On the flip side, they detail the economic consequences of obesity. For instance, obese employees take more sick days than do normal-weight employees-and their paychecks are slimmer. The authors highlight fascinating new scientific research into the causes of obesity and offer tips on lightening your load over the long haul. This book serves up a healthy selection for public and academic library business collections.—Carol J. Elsen, Univ. of Wisconsin, Whitewater (Library Journal, January 2008)

Everyone knows Americans are growing fatter, but health economist Finkelstein crunches the economic figures behind the nation's obesity epidemic and the results aren't pretty. Along with health-care writer Zuckerman, researcher Finkelstein delves into how modern technology reduces the cost of producing higher-calorie processed goods, decreases our activity level and puts our health in danger. Finkelstein debunks myths about the long-range cost of food production and consumption and scrutinizes the impact of genetics and U.S. fiscal policy on the nation's waistline, frequently using economics metrics in his analysis. Generous with summaries of major points, Finkelstein simplifies current stats to explain how the country's thunderous weight gain is straining Medicare and Medicaid and hurting our military readiness. The only positive effect he sees from the obesity epidemic is the creation of the “ObesEconomy”—a market sustained by gyms, diet drugs and other products and services designed to curb weight gain. Horrified by studies that reveal that obese children have a quality of life similar to children with cancer, the investigatory economist even throws in some health tips on dropping pounds. Despite a frequent reliance on economic tools and indicators, this combination study/motivational guide makes for a pleasant educational read, comparable to a vegetable puree snuck into a dessert. (Jan.) (Publishers Weekly, December 3, 2007)

“Finkelstein’s tone is chatty and accessible…obesity is ultimately bad economics.” (Financial Times, Saturday 16th February 2008)

“The authors show there is a casual relationship between the growth of the waistline and the changing shape of the economy.” (Securities & Investment Review, March 2008)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 274 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470124660
• ISBN-13: 978-0470124666
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.1 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #52,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Explanation of Obesity Issues, November 25, 2007

By 

Lisa Shea "medieval swordfighting enthusiast" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Fattening of America: How The Economy Makes Us Fat, If It Matters, and What To Do About It (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

There are some books that talk about obesity in generic terms, without giving any real backing to their discussion. There are other books which are highly scientific, that are tedious to read. The Fattening of America does a great job of remaining highly interesting while providing a *ton* of information - all linked to the studies if you want to learn more.

I run a low carb site, and talk with hundreds of overweight people each week. There are many common issues they face. They want to eat healthy, but they can't afford to buy fruits and vegetables. They want to exercise, but the job that pays their rent is sedentary. They have to eat out due to time constraints, and the healthy options in their area are few.

This book goes into these issues - and much more - to explain how modern life has really created an environment in which people naturally get fat. Our economic success has this side effect. Automation has made most jobs nice and easy - meaning we no longer burn up calories working. Our government and system of agriculture has somehow made bad foods cheap - soybean products, corn products - while making healthy foods much more expensive. The result is since 1985 the average woman went from size 8 to size 14.

The book digs into every aspect of what is going on. It talks about the genetic issues, how people with certain genetics are coded to easily gain weight. This was a great advantage in times of famine - but in modern times it's suddenly a liability. There are many drugs which cause weight gain, like the birth control pill. The more drugs we as a society ingest, the heavier we get.

TV is of course a problem. People sit and watch 2.6hr/day rather than doing anything active. We actually have 4 hours a week more free time than in 1965 - but we choose to use it in non active ways. Labor saving devices have really helped us not have to work - and stationary devices like TVs, computers and video games have jumped into that time spot.

Even modern issues such as lack of sleep add to the obesity problem. It's a combination of many different factors which all add up to this increasing girth size.

An interesting point brought up by the book is that most obese people *know* they have a shorter life span and more risk for disease - but for many, it's a trade-off they are willing to make. That's not to say that a miracle thin pill would be avoided by them! But even people who know that their diet is poor and that they should exercise more often deliberately choose to relax in front of the TV with a large chocolate cake. They have a rough life, and this is their time of contentment. They are very willing to trade off the satisfaction now for a "maybe 5 more years" when they are 80.

Part of what enables this is that obese people in modern times are far more healthy than they were 50 years ago. Our changes in technology, medicine and environment mean that their blood pressure can be controlled, there are clothes for them to wear, they can live a happy life. They can be large and happy. To start losing weight would require great sacrifices - and really, there isn't much incentive for them to take that step.

When you think about it, pretty much all of us are in that situation. We all have bad habits - we drink a bit too much, we smoke, we don't take our vitamins every day, we don't drink enough water, we don't walk 10,000 steps. Every one of us makes compromises in our lives because living the "perfect life" to gain a few extra years just doesn't seem worth it in the long run. We'd rather live the life we really enjoy, for as long as we can, vs living a test-tube life to get the "ultimate maximum" number of minutes on the earth.

Where most personal choices like drinking and smoking can hurt others - drunk driving, second hand smoke - obesity tends to only directly affect the person who is heavy. So why should others care about this issue?

The book points out that US government spends $45 billion on obesity medical care each year, and private insurance companies spend another $45 billion. Both of these costs are passed along to the average citizen. So in a way, we are all paying the price for people who end up in an obese state. Unless the obese person swears off ever seeing a doctor, there is in fact an impact on others in the community. But is that any different than someone who chooses to ride a motorcycle? Go hang gliding? What risks do we find "proper"?

I found the information and text extremely interesting, and read it straight through despite having other things I should have been doing. I very much support heavy people - I have several friends who clearly fall into that category - and realize that no solution is cut and dried. Every single case of obesity is unique, and has many factors. Still, this book lays out a TON of information, background research and concepts to ponder - and then points you in the direction to learn more about whatever issues seem to strike a chord with you.

Highly recommended.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you read only one book on health economics this year, this should be the one!, November 24, 2007

By 

Arthur Digbee (Indianapolis, IN, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Fattening of America: How The Economy Makes Us Fat, If It Matters, and What To Do About It (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

True confessions: I took a gamble when I decided to read this book. I know several health economists and (sorry guys) their research is not exactly thrilling material to me. So I normally yawn and move on. But the publisher clearly has big plans for this book, so I figured they knew something about this book that I didn't - - and I took the chance of reading it.

The gamble paid off. Most accounts of "America's Obesity Epidemic" ring false to me, with psychobabble, silly generalizations about how Americans differ from other examples of homo sapiens, and health-nuts' ramblings about everyone else's lack of willpower. This one is different, as Finkelstein looks at the economics behind our growing waistlines.

The core story is pretty simple. Americans are getting wealthier, and more women work, so time is more valuable. As a result, time that we might spend on shopping and on food preparation is increasingly expensive to us, so we do less of it. We still have to eat, so we choose food that we can obtain quickly - - fast food restaurants for many of us. Farm subsidies make soybeans (hydrogenated vegetable oil), corn (high fructose corn syrup) and wheat products both inexpensive and abundant, so we eat more of those. Farmers grow more of those, and fewer fruits and vegetables, so we eat fewer of the healthy foods. We all know that this diet is bad for our health but we substitute easy and highly-subsidized blood pressure and cholesterol medications for time-consuming lifestyle changes.

The book summarizes academic research on these issues in a lively style. Presumably, Finkelstein (the health economist) blocked out the book and provided the scholarship while Zuckerman (a science and health writer) turned it into an interesting read. Both authors did their jobs well and the book is both informative and easy to read.

Finkelstein has two peculiarities worth noting. First, he's an economist, so he takes everyone's preferences seriously. He believes that people eat unhealthy food because they like it in addition to it being cheap and fast. He also believes that people understand the health consequences and mostly choose their current lifestyles rationally, and they have a right to do this. As a result, there's only a role for public policy to the extent that one person's obesity harms other people.

Like many marathoners and obesity researchers, he also clearly has a bit of the obsessive-compulsive to him, and he'd be an annoying neighbor, parent, or children's soccer coach. Fortunately, he's pretty good at making fun of himself (or at letting Zuckerman make fun of him).

The book has no easy answers or quick solutions, but that makes its basic story all the more persuasive. Highly recommended.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Is Obesity Linked to Economics Factors?, November 25, 2007

By 

Robert L. Stinnett (Boonville, MO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Fattening of America: How The Economy Makes Us Fat, If It Matters, and What To Do About It (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

One of the observations that my friends and I have made on the occassions when we have dinner or lunch out is that healthy foods (salads, especially) tend to demand a premium price. You ask to substitute a side salad for fries (some lettuce and maybe a sliver of carrot) and they want to tack $2.00 onto your bill. Therefore, when this book came up I was eager to read what the author had to say about this -- and admittedly, he has some good points, but his delivery could use some adjustment.

In the book the author goes into detail, using economics facts and figures, to help us understand how economics plays a part in the obesity problem we have here in America. He examines several aspects of the problem, including how those lower on the socio-economic scale tend to eat unhealthy food because it costs less and fits within their budget, while those higher on the socio-economic scale tend to eat out or eat prepared foods which are not much healthier. Good points, both of them and very true.

Unfortunately, the author at several times seems to ignore medical conditions that can cause obesity and weight issues. Now, granted, during he book he points out that there are medical reasons, however I got the impression reading some of the chapters that he wasn't really understanding the entire problem of obesity in terms of not only economics, but also medical.

It's a good book, and an eye opener for many, but I really think the author needs to go back and examine some of the chapters and think about how he words things. When I first started reading the book the author came off as someone who detests overweight individuals -- though later on in the book that perception wore away. However, for someone who is reading the book they may get the wrong impression from the first chapter or two.

A good book, but needs some polishing in this reader's opinion.