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Barry M. Popkin

The World Is Fat: The Fads, Trends, Policies, and Products That Are Fattening the Human Race Paperback – Illustrated, December 29, 2009

by Barry Popkin (Author)

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A compelling look at the global trends that have led to today's obesity crisis

The planet's 1.6 billion overweight people by far outnumber the 700 million who are undernourished. This figure would have seemed ludicrous just fifty years ago. As a result of unprecedented trends in technology, globalization, government policy, and the food industry that are changing how we eat, drink, and move, we now live in a world populated by overweight people with debilitating health problems.

In this fascinating look at the striking changes in both our lifestyles and food system since World War II, Barry Popkin shows how present options for eating and drinking- especially when combined with a dramatic reduction in physical activity-are clashing with millions of years of evolution to fatten the human race. Popkin argues that widespread obesity-and the chronic health problems that contribute to the bulk of deaths in the world-is less a result of poor dietary choices than about a hi-tech, interconnected world in which governments and multinational corporations have extraordinary power to shape our everyday lives.

Print length

240 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Avery
Publication date

December 29, 2009
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches
ISBN-10

1583333819
ISBN-13

978-1583333815
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Editorial Reviews

Review

aThe global obesity epidemic affects all of us - families, communities, and nations around the world. It's a weighty subject in every way, with dire consequences for well being, life expectancy, and economic productivity in the years ahead unless seriously confronted. "The World is Fat" is compelling reading on this complex and growing societal threat. Dr. Barry Popkin is one of the world's most distinguished experts on obesity, the global food system, and nutrition, with extensive first-hand knowledge of the trends in the U.S., Europe, India, China, and beyond. His writing is remarkably clear and concise, free of jargon, and full of wisdom, balance, and good judgment. His call to action and practical suggestions to individuals, communities, and political leaders, will be read with enormous interest and benefit around the world.a
a Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, author of "The End of Poverty" and "Common Wealth"
aThis personal, warmly sympathetic account of the makings of the global obesity crisis is just what is needed to figure out what to do about it. Popkin is an economist, but a humanistic one, and his humanity shines through in this book.a
aMarion Nestle, author of "What to Eat" and "Food Politics," and professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University
aThe most serious epidemic ever is insidiously engulfing the world. Barry Popkin draws upon his decades of research and experience to describe its originsaand a set of potential solutions. Those interested in the future of mankind should read this book.a
aWalter Willett, author of "Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy," and chair, Department of Nutrition, Harvard University
aPopkinas research contributions and insights into food and nutrition have inspired scores of scholars. In "The World is Fat," he now inspires parents and consumers about what we can do to help our families and ourselves.a
aBrian Wansink, Ph.D., author of "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think"

About the Author

Barry Popkin is the Carla Smith Chamblee Distinguished Professor of Global Nutrition at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and director of the UNC Interdisciplinary Obesity Center. His U.S. research program focuses on understanding dietary and physical activity behaviors, the factors that cause them to change over time, and their health consequences. His global work includes a series of long-term studies in China, Russia, the Philippines, Brazil, and several other countries. Popkin’s research has been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, in such publications as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Economist, Time, and Scientific American.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Avery; Illustrated edition (December 29, 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1583333819
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1583333815
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,377,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #274 in Agriculture & Food Policy (Books)
- #779 in Restaurant & Food Industry (Books)
- #1,346 in Sociological Study of Medicine

Customer Reviews:
30 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		49%
4 star		27%
3 star		18%
2 star		3%
1 star		3%

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Kristine Hale

A well written essay on the obesity epidemic

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2009

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The name Barry Popkin carries some real clout in the nutrition/obesity research world, so I was excited to read his opinions and thoughts, and I cruised through this book in one night. The author starts out with the story of his life growing up in the 50's and the lives of a few other families in India and China, and he returns to them throughout the book. Although I don't feel that the individual stories make a convincing argument for why the world is fat, they do make the book immensely enjoyable and extremely easy to relate to.

What does make a convincing argument is the well-researched data that peppers this book, pointing the finger firmly at a one-two-three punch of the sudden drop in activity in our lives, the over-abundance of nutritionally void foods and the governmental/corporate intervention into our eating habits. While not a new theory, it is a new take that is a pleasure to read.

Where this book falls short is that the author doesn't really take the story to a conclusion. He touches on why we are fat but never really reaches an answer, touches on what obesity does to us but never really drives the point home, and touches on what we can do about it without ever really laying down any firm resolution. I would have liked to see less conjecture about liquid calories and more facts about the changes in our world. I found myself leaving the book with more questions than I started with.

The book clocks in at a light 170 pages of meat in a large font, and as such, it makes a great introduction, but not a great answer, to a very serious question.

23 people found this helpful

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Carolyn

Boring

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2019

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Used it fir a college paper

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Paul S. Jellinek

A fascinating take on the global obesity epidemic

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2015

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A fascinating, often personal and surprisingly accessible (for a scholar of his stature) book about the global obesity epidemic and what it will take to reverse it. Popkin's deep knowledge of nutrition and the many insights he has gleaned from his extensive international experience set this book apart in an increasingly crowded field.

Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2014

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I enjoyed this book very much, I would recommend this as a starting point for anyone interested in the issue of global health and nutrition. I feel that this book is also a great introduction for health professionals looking for a way to understand the changing understanding of how our current food system is effecting overall nutrition in the population.

Helpful

S. Wesson

Great message, could have been better delivered

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2010

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Popkin may scatter his own personal history a bit too much into this well-researched book, but it doesn't change the weight or the importance of the message: we are killing ourselves with the food we eat. Our choices, from fast food, to high calorie foods, to morbid inactivity are not just a US, but a global problem and Popkin calls us to action to change our patterns. We should listen to him.

One person found this helpful

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scott edward hartley

important work

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2014

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Read it...... It includes actual scholarship but is also entertaining. It helps to dispel many myths while simplifying the issue.

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Cecilia polanco

in good condition, and arrived quickly

Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2014

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As advertised, in good condition, and arrived quickly. Thank you!

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2010

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Informative. I carried away a new awareness of the way the technological revolution is changing our everyday lives...including the way we eat.

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Top reviews from other countries

Karen C

I wish I'd known about this book when it was first published

Reviewed in Canada on April 17, 2016

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This is the most fascinating nutrition book I have ever read! (I have two masters degrees and a doctorate in nutrition and worked as a public health nutritionist for years so I've read a lot of nutrition books!) The focus of the book is on healthy weights/obesity but the history of food in the world is interesting no matter what your interest in nutrition. This book is written for everyday eaters rather than health professionals. It's very readable.
There is valuable guidance in the last chapter about making personal choices as well as community or government choices that will help to reverse the alarming increase in obesity. For example, anything we drink doesn't help us feel full so drinks with calories are likely to make us fatter.
Most popular books on diet and nutrition are full of misinformation but not this one. Barry Popkin has excellent credentials. I have seen his articles in the most prestigious journals.

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The World Is Fat: The Fads, Trends, Policies, and Products That Are Fattening the Human Race Paperback – Illustrated, December 29, 2009

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