Tackling the Obesity Crisis Beyond Failed Approaches to Lasting Solutions

The obesity epidemic reflects a failure to understand how meals are chosen.

The incidence of obesity has increased rapidly since 1980. The purpose of this book is to review public health approaches to this pandemic and describe why they have failed. Based on this, possible alternatives are discussed.

A theme of the book is that to understand obesity you need to take nutritional, psychological, biochemical and physiological viewpoints, as well as a societal perspective. Yet public health policy has been characterized by simplistic approaches that often consider only one aspect of a particular discipline. Too often it has been claimed that one factor, for example fat or sugar, has caused obesity, or can have a major impact on it. To have any chance of influencing the prevalence of obesity, the size of the necessary changes, and complexity of the situation, must be recognized.

Reducing the incidence of obesity is an urgent task and this book is intended to stimulate discussion, encourage public health policy makers and government to defend their policies, and consider alternatives. It is written in an accessible language, explaining connections in an easy to understand manner and is thus written for everyone interested in weight control and public health policy.

About the Author:

David Benton is Professor of Psychology at Swansea University in the United Kingdom. He has for over forty years been studying the influence of diet on cognition, mood, and behaviour. His work is internationally known and has resulted in invitations from over twenty-five countries on six continents. He has been asked by the House Parliament, House of Lords and Downing Street, to give advice to the UK government on obesity, hyperactivity and school breakfasts.

The obesity epidemic reflects a failure to understand how meals are chosen. Government initiatives have failed, and most people are unable to control their weight. In this book, an internationally recognized expert on diet and behaviour, discusses the common misunderstandings that have created the epidemic, and suggests how obesity could be reduced.

After dieting the body needs fewer calories and you are likely to put on weight. Many people do not understand how to control their weight and rely on ideas that are simply wrong. Natural foods are seen as healthier when they are not. Ultra-processed foods are seen as a problem when the method of production is unimportant. There is little evidence that removing sugar from the diet, banning advertising to children, adding calories to menus, or providing nutritional information on packaging reduces obesity. In fact, removing fat from the diethas increased obesity.

One conclusion is that current approaches have no chance of preventing obesity. Without new ways of dealing with obesity, it will inevitably increase, reducing life expectancy after decades of disease.

So, what needs to change? One root cause of obesity is poverty. The way infants are fed in the first years of life determines the likelihood of obesity in adulthood. Without the development of low-calorie foods, little can be done. Since health policy depends on individuals changing their behaviour, they need to understand how to control their weight.

Ambitious in scope, the author deals with the topic in an eye-catching and easy to understand manner, illustrated with colourful analogies and unusual and amusing facts. A refreshing novel perspective is offered that will be of interest to everyone wishing to control their body weight.