The World Is Fat - by Barry Popkin (Paperback)

About the Book

"Fast Food Nation" meets "The World Is Flat" in this eye-opening look at the obesity epidemic. Popkin argues that the fattening of the human race is not simply about food; rather, it is a result of an unprecedented collision of human biology with modern lifestyle trends.

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

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.