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

by Finkelstein, Eric A.; Zuckerman, Laurie

• ISBN13: 9780470124666
• ISBN10: 0470124660
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-01-09
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

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.

Author Biography

Eric A. Finkelstein, PhD, MHA, is a nationally acclaimed expert on the subject of economics and obesity. He is a health economist with the research organization RTI International in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and teaches health economics at Duke University. His work focuses on the economic causes and consequences of health-related behaviors, with a primary emphasis on obesity. Finkelstein has published over thirty peer-reviewed articles on the economics of obesity and related behaviors. His research has been featured on the front page of USA Today and has been covered in the Economist, the New York Times, Forbes, the Washington Post, and many other newspaper, radio, and television outlets.

Laurie Zuckerman left her corporate PR job in 1999 to make writing her full-time career. She contributes columns and feature articles to a number of business journals and lifestyle magazines, and writes for businesses ranging from Fortune 500s to startups, with a focus on health care, high tech, and business.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Answering the Age-Old Question: Why Is Uncle Al So Fat?	p. ix
Craze or Crisis?	p. 1
So Why Now?	p. 2
My Soccer Team Eats Oranges	p. 3
So How about Adults? Are We Gaining, Too?	p. 7
A Growing Waistline Can Be Bad for Your Health	p. 10
But Are We the Only Ones Gaining Weight?	p. 13
The Longer You Stay, the Bigger You Get	p. 16
I'll Take a Deep-Fried Coca-Cola	p. 17
First Things First	p. 18
Cheap Food Gets Cheaper	p. 19
The Rise of French-Fried Potatoes	p. 22
Please Pass the High-Fructose Corn Syrup	p. 24
A Full Pound of Sausage, Bacon, and Ham: Have a Meaty Morning	p. 28
Too Much of a Good Thing	p. 31
Kids Are Also Drinking the Kool-Aid	p. 33
When Is Enough Enough?	p. 34
Why We're Moving Less: (Hint: It's Not Just the La-Z-Boy)	p. 37
But I Don't Have Time!	p. 38
Not Quite the Jetsons, But...	p. 40
Just Be a Marathon Runner	p. 44
We're Not Farmers Anymore	p. 45
Sprawling Out	p. 47
Our Kids Are Also Slowing Down	p. 48
Wrapping It Up	p. 49
So Where Else Can We Lay the Blame?	p. 51
Blame Mom and Dad	p. 52
The Just Blame Mom (You Know You Will Anyway)	p. 55
Blame the Meds	p. 56
Blame the Cigs (One More Theory Goes Up in Smoke)	p. 59
Blame the All-Nighter	p. 61
Blame the Air Conditioner (Not Cool)	p. 62
Blame Pollution (It's a Dirty Business)	p. 63
Blame That Nasty "Fat Bug"	p. 64
It's the Economy, Stupid	p. 67
Beware: Moral Hazard	p. 69
Just Bill My Health Insurance	p. 71
Is Obesity as Bad as It Used to Be?	p. 74
Just Take a Pill or Get a Procedure	p. 76
So We're Fat - Who Cares?	p. 81
Is Uncle Al Overweight?	p. 82
C'mon Now, We're Only Utility Maximizing	p. 85
Now, Let's Tear This Argument Apart (and Put It Back Together)	p. 88
So Should Dad (and the Government) Care that Uncle Al Is Obese?	p. 91
Just Follow the Money	p. 93
The Role of Government	p. 101
Market Failures	p. 103
Externalities	p. 105
Market Power	p. 107
Public Goods	p. 108
Obesity and National Defense	p. 109
Imperfect (Asymmetric) Information	p. 111
Is There a Role for Government?	p. 115
Weighing the Public Policy Issues (for Adults)	p. 117
Equity	p. 118
Irrationality	p. 122
Compelling Public Need	p. 123
Revisiting Past Policy	p. 125
The Road Ahead	p. 138
Summing Up	p. 151
Weighing the Public Policy Issues (for Kids)	p. 153
First, a Step Back	p. 155
Child Abuse?	p. 160
School-Based Regulations	p. 161
Your Mouth Will Really Groove	p. 175
In Closing	p. 179
The Employer's Dilemma	p. 181
Why Don't Businesses Invest More in the Health of Their Workforce?	p. 182
The Dirty Secret about Employee Wellness Programs	p. 189
So What's an Employer to Do?	p. 192
Could These Programs Get Me in Legal Hot Water?	p. 201
The ObesEconomy	p. 203
Just How Big Is the Weight-Loss Industry?	p. 204
Just Take a Pill	p. 209
Bigger and Better	p. 214
Invest in New Technology	p. 219
In the Name of Progress	p. 221
How to Lose Weight Like an Economist	p. 223
Economic Weight-Loss Techniques	p. 226
A Few More Secrets to Success	p. 231
Conclusion	p. 234
Notes	p. 239
About the Authors	p. 267
Index	p. 269
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