The Weight of the Nation

America's ever-expanding waistline-we see it, we hear about it, and we worry about it, but can anything be done about it? We know all the usual suspects: red meat, dairy, white flour, refined sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, a lack of exercise, too much television, and the list goes on and on. It seems simple, right? Not really. There's a lot more going on below the surface when it comes to what America is eating for dinner-and breakfast and lunch and in between.
People today work harder and take better care of their health than any previous generation. So how could two-thirds of us fail to measure up when it comes to eating right and exercising? HBO and the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine have joined together to bring you the nation's foremost experts and definitive research on weight and weight loss.
The Weight of the Nation digs deep to uncover what's going on in our minds, in our stomachs, in corporate America, on our farms, and in society's overall love of food. The solution to America's obesity epidemic will not come from quick-fix diets or a new national obsession with working out. The answer will only come from learning more about how our bodies conserve energy, why we seek out and consume certain foods, and how our world compels us to eat a lot more and move a lot less than we should.
Three years in the making, The Weight of the Nation answers such crucial questions as:
–Is there such a thing as the right diet?
–Am I doomed to yo-yo for the rest of my life?
–How does stress affect my weight?
–Is my slow metabolism making me fat?
–How does carrying too much weight affect my health?
–Why do I eat junk food even though I know it's unhealthy?
–Is exercise enough to help most people maintain an ideal weight?
–How can I keep weight off forever?
The Weight of the Nation provides you with all the tools you need-and gives you the power to better understand your relationships with food and physical activity-so you can change the way you eat and move for the rest of your life. Foreword
Introduction
PART I: GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS: Chapter 1: The Bad News: We Have a Big Problem
Chapter 2: The Worse News: It's Making Us Sick
Chapter 3: The Good News: Little Changes Can Make a Big Difference
PART II: WHY WE ARE FAT: Chapter 4: Evolutionary History
Chapter 5: The Food We Eat
Chapter 6: Know Thy Body
Chapter 7: Know Thy Brain
PART III: THE FORCES WORKING AGAINST US: Chapter 8: Fast Food vs Us
Chapter 9: Restaurants vs Us
Chapter 10: Big Food Companies vs Us
Chapter 11: Supermarkets vs Us
Chapter 12: Marketing vs Us
Chapter 13: The Fashion and Beauty Industries vs Us
Chapter 14: Desks, Cars, and Computers vs Us
Chapter 15: School Budgets vs Our Kids
PART IV: HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT AND MAKE IT LAST: Chapter 16: What Not to Do – And What to Do About It
Chapter 17: Where to Begin
Chapter 18: Welcome to Your New Life
Chapter 19: How to Keep It Off
AFTERWORD: DIALING BACK THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION
Tips for Healthy Eating While Watching Calories
Tips for Active Living
Healthy Pregnancy, Healthy Baby
The Question of Surgery
"An ambitious multiplatform project that takes the full measure of our girth, its genesis, and its toll."
"Startlingly clear…Conveys the complex causes and effects of obesity in a way that, no matter how much you think you know, will still shock you."
"If we don't succeed in turning this epidemic around, we are going to face, for the first time in our history, a situation where our children are going to live shorter lives than we do."
"Bernadette Dunne's silky smooth performance makes hearing this information thoroughly understandable and enjoyable. Her flawless voice and seamless phrasing communicate satisfying gravitas. [A] wonderful production."
"There's no hysterical hype here-just plain facts presented clearly and honestly...Not just for dieters, this book is an essential title for