Promotes the recognition, treatment, and prevention of conditions of overweight and obesity in the United States.

“An in-depth, well-researched, and thoughtful exploration of the ‘fat boom’ in America.” —TheBoston Globe Low carb, high protein, raw foods . . . despite our seemingly endless obsession with fad diets, the startling truth is that six out of ten Americans are overweight or obese. In Fat Land, award-winning nutrition and health journalist Greg Critser examines the facts and societal factors behind the sensational headlines, taking on everything from supersize to Super Mario, high-fructose corn syrup to the high costs of physical education. With a sharp eye and even sharper tongue, Critser examines why pediatricians are now treating conditions rarely seen in children before; why type 2 diabetes is on the rise; the personal struggles of those with weight problems—especially among the poor—and how agribusiness has altered our waistlines. Praised by the New York Times as “absorbing” and by Newsday as “riveting,” this disarmingly funny, yet truly alarming, exposé stands as an important examination of one of the most pressing medical and social issues in the United States. “One scary book and a good companion to Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation.” —Seattle Post-Intelligencer

In the 2001 Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity, former Surgeon General David Satcher, MD, PhD, warned of the negative effects of the increasing weight of American citizens and outlined a public health response to reverse the trend. The Surgeon General plans to strengthen and expand this blueprint for action created by her predecessor. Although the country has made some strides since 2001, the prevalence of obesity, obesity-related diseases, and premature death remains too high.

These guidelines make recommendations regarding the management of individuals with a body mass index greater than 25.0 kg/m2 and cover all age groups, from children to the elderly, as well as various patient subsets. A range of measures to yield health benefits are set out, including healthy eating plans, increased physical activity, and behavioral modifications to help patients to manage obesity. In addition, recommendations are made on the use of bariatric surgery and the new antiobesity drugs. Throughout the process of developing the recommendations, every attempt was made to ensure use of a rigorous, evidence-based approach. The guidelines are promoted by the Italian Society of Obesity (SIO) and were formulated in compliance with a prespecified process overseen by a steering committee. They are intended for use by a wide range of clinicians, including general practitioners, primary health care nurses, and primary health care professionals, and will hopefully prove of value in combating the obesity epidemic not only in Italy but across Europe and elsewhere in the world.

This report issues a call for urgent action to combat the growing epidemic of obesity, which now affects developing and industrialized countries alike. Adopting a public health approach, the report responds to both the enormity of health problems associated with obesity and the notorious difficulty of treating this complex, multifactorial disease. With these problems in mind, the report aims to help policy-makers introduce strategies for prevention and management that have the greatest chance of success. The importance of prevention as the most sensible strategy in developing countries, where obesity coexists with undernutrition, is repeatedly emphasized. Recommended lines of action, which reflect the consensus reached by 25 leading authorities, are based on a critical review of current scientific knowledge about the causes of obesity in both individuals and populations. While all causes are considered, major attention is given to behavioural and societal changes that have increased the energy density of diets, overwhelmed sophisticated regulatory systems that control appetite and maintain energy balance, and reduced physical activity. Specific topics discussed range from the importance of fat content in the food supply as a cause of population-wide obesity, through misconceptions about obesity held by both the medical profession and the public, to strategies for dealing with the alarming prevalence of obesity in children. "... the volume is clearly written, and carries a wealth of summary information that is likely to be invaluable for anyone interested in the public health aspects of obesity and fatness, be they students, practitioner or researcher." - Journal of Biosocial Science

Understanding the relationship between energy balance and obesity is essential to develop effective prevention programs and policies. The International Agency for Research on Cancer convened a Working Group of world-leading experts in December 2015 to review the evidence regarding energy balance and obesity, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries, and to consider the following scientific questions: (i) Are the drivers of the obesity epidemic related only to energy excess and/or do specific foods or nutrients play a major role in this epidemic? (ii) What are the factors that modulate these associations? (iii) Which types of data and/or studies will further improve our understanding? This book provides summaries of the evidence from the literature as well as the Working Group's conclusions and recommendations to tackle the global epidemic of obesity.

Of evidence-based recommendations -- Introduction -- Overweight and obesity: background -- Examination of randomized controlled trial evidence -- Treatment guidelines -- Summary of recommendations -- Future research.

Written by and for primary care professionals, this unique title presents step-by-step, evidence-based information for the assessment and treatment of patients who present with overweight or obesity. Highly practical and easy to use, Primary Care: Obesity helps you develop and hone the specific knowledge, skills, and clinical practices necessary to provide effective care to this highly prevalent and at-risk patient population. This comprehensive guide is an essential resource for today’s internal medicine and family medicine physicians, pediatricians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other healthcare professionals who practice outpatient primary care.