{"product_id":"the-fattening-of-america-isbn-9780470124666","title":"The Fattening of America","description":"In \u003ci\u003eThe Fattening of America,\u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003eIntroduction: Answering the Age-Old Question: Why is Uncle Al So Fat? ix\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 1 Craze or Crisis? 1\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSo Why Now? 2\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMy Soccer Team Eats Oranges 3\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSo How about Adults? Are We Gaining, Too? 7\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA Growing Waistline Can Be Bad for Your Health 10\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBut Are We the Only Ones Gaining Weight? 13\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Longer You Stay, the Bigger You Get 16\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 2 I’ll Take a Deep-Fried Coca-Cola 17\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFirst Things First 18\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCheap Food Gets Cheaper 19\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Rise of French-Fried Potatoes 22\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePlease Pass the High-Fructose Corn Syrup 24\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA Full Pound of Sausage, Bacon, and Ham: Have a Meaty Morning 28\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eToo Much of a Good Thing 31\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKids Are Also Drinking the Kool-Aid 33\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen is Enough Enough? 34\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 3 Why We’re Moving Less (Hint: It’s Not Just the La-Z-Boy) 37\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBut I Don’t Have Time! 38\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNot Quite the Jetsons, But . . . 40\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eJust Be a Marathon Runner 44\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe’re Not Farmers Anymore 45\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSprawling Out 47\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOur Kids Are Also Slowing Down 48\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWrapping It Up 49\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 4 So Where Else Can We Lay the Blame? 51\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBlame Mom and Dad 52\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThen Just Blame Mom (You Know You Will Anyway) 55\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBlame the Meds 56\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBlame the Cigs (One More Theory Goes Up in Smoke) 59\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBlame the All-Nighter 61\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBlame the Air Conditioner (Not Cool) 62\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBlame Pollution (It’s a Dirty Business) 63\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBlame That Nasty “Fat Bug” 64\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt’s the Economy, Stupid 67\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 5 Beware: Moral Hazard 69\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eJust Bill My Health Insurance 71\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIs Obesity as Bad as It Used to Be? 74\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eJust Take a Pill or Get a Procedure 76\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 6 So We’re Fat—Who Cares? 81\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIs Uncle Al Overweight? 82\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eC’mon Now, We’re Only Utility Maximizing 85\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNow, Let’s Tear This Argument Apart (and Put It Back Together) 88\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSo Should Dad (and the Government) Care that Uncle Al is Obese? 91\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eJust Follow the Money 93\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 7 The Role of Government 101\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarket Failures 103\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eExternalities 105\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarket Power 107\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePublic Goods 108\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eObesity and National Defense 109\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eImperfect (Asymmetric) Information 111\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIs There a Role for Government? 115\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 8 Weighing the Public Policy Issues (for Adults) 117\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEquity 118\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIrrationality 122\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCompelling Public Need 123\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRevisiting Past Policy 125\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Road Ahead 138\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSumming Up 151\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 9 Weighing the Public Policy Issues (for Kids) 153\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFirst, a Step Back 155\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChild Abuse? 160\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSchool-Based Regulations 161\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eYour Mouth Will Really Groove 175\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn Closing 179\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 10 The Employer’s Dilemma 181\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhy Don’t Businesses Invest More in the Health of Their Workforce? 182\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Dirty Secret about Employee Wellness Programs 189\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSo What’s an Employer to Do? 192\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCould These Programs Get Me in Legal Hot Water? 201\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 11 The ObesEconomy 203\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eJust How Big is the Weight-Loss Industry? 204\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eJust Take a Pill 209\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBigger and Better 214\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInvest in New Technology 219\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the Name of Progress 221\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 12 How to Lose Weight Like an Economist 223\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEconomic Weight-Loss Techniques 226\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA Few More Secrets to Success 231\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConclusion 234\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNotes 239\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbout the Authors 267\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex 269\u003c\/p\u003e  “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, \u003ci\u003eThe Incidence and Economic Burden of Injuries in the United States\u003c\/i\u003e) and business writer Zuckerman (coauthor with Mary Cantando, \u003ci\u003eNine Lives: Stories of Women Business Owners Landing on Their Feet\u003c\/i\u003e) analyze the finances behind the fat. They trace some of the familiar causes of the bulging American waistline that Greg Critzer identified in \u003ci\u003eFat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World\u003c\/i\u003e. 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 (\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, January 2008)  \u003cp\u003eEveryone 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. \u003ci\u003e(Jan.)\u003c\/i\u003e (\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, December 3, 2007)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e“Finkelstein’s tone is chatty and accessible…obesity is ultimately bad economics.” (\u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e, Saturday 16th February 2008)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e“The authors show there is a casual relationship between the growth of the waistline and the changing shape of the economy.” (\u003ci\u003eSecurities \u0026amp; Investment Review\u003c\/i\u003e, March 2008)\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eERIC A. FINKELSTEIN, P\u003csmall\u003eH\u003c\/small\u003eD, MHA,\u003c\/b\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e and has been covered in the\u003ci\u003e Economist,\u003c\/i\u003e the\u003ci\u003e New York Times, Forbes,\u003c\/i\u003e the \u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, and many other newspaper, radio, and television outlets. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLAURIE ZUCKERMAN\u003c\/b\u003e 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.   \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOver two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. What's alarming about this statistic is not just the volume of Americans who have tipped their scales—but the velocity at which they're doing it. Over the past three decades, the number of obese Americans has more than doubled. The increase occurred up and down the socioeconomic spectrum, for all racial and ethnic groups, and, most dramatically, for America's children. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat's behind the sudden, explosive rise in obesity rates? In a word, it's economics. Author Eric Finkelstein, a renowned health economist who has spent much of his career studying the economics of obesity, with the help of coauthor Laurie Zuckerman, reveals why America's growing waistline is a by-product of our economic and technological success. Because of declining food costs, especially for high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, and increasing usage of technology, which make Americans more sedentary, the environment has changed in such a way that we're eating more calories and burning off less. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe issue is not that Americans don't care about their increasing waistlines—quite the opposite, in fact. But the reality is that in America's (and increasingly the world's) obesity-inducing environment, the sustained changes in behavior required to lose the weight and keep it off are simply too difficult—and becoming more difficult all the time. Moreover, generous insurance coverage and vastly improved medical treatments have lowered the health costs, if not the monetary costs, of excess weight. So carrying a few extra pounds is not as bad for one's health as it used to be. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinkelstein and Zuckerman blend theory, research, and engaging—sometimes hilarious—personal anecdotes to break down the causes and the consequences of America's obesity epidemic. One by one, they explore the media's claim that obesity is making our businesses less competitive, pushing good jobs overseas, hurting our military readiness, increasing our taxes, and helping to bankrupt the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Along the way, the authors also reveal how the obesity epidemic has spurred tremendous demand for all sorts of new products and services, creating a flourishing new market that they call \"The ObesEconomy.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Fattening of America\u003c\/i\u003e outlines the issues we must deal with to confront obesity. The authors explore the role that business and policymakers play in America's obesity epidemic, and explain that successful obesity prevention strategies need to do exactly the opposite of where the economy is taking us. They need to make it cheaper and easier to be thin—not fat. However, because obesity is a natural by-product of an expanding economy, the authors question whether or not obesity prevention efforts, even if successful, would actually leave some individuals worse off.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wiley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47990227435749,"sku":"NP9780470124666","price":37.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780470124666.jpg?v=1761786987","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-fattening-of-america-isbn-9780470124666","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}