The fat of the land : our health crisis and how overweight Americans can help themselves /

Those familiar with Fumento's previous two books (Science Under Siege and The Myth of Heterosexual AIDS) know that this medical journalist has a knack for debunking popular beliefs and revealing the true state of things. While this candid approach has incited controversy before, the author's tone here is too likable to provoke the ire even of those groups he is most critical of: the food manufacturers that flood the market with low-fat (but highly caloric and sugar-laden) snacks, the pro-obesity groups that deny the serious health risks associated with excess body weight and the expensive diet books and programs that are little more than modern-day quackery. It's hard to doubt the author's conclusions; not only has he examined most of the studies, but he has even used himself as the guinea pig in experiments with various weight-control methods. Fumento has maintained a 25-pound weight loss by practicing the commonsense plan he ultimately preaches: get plenty of exercise, eat only when hungry and maintain a high-fiber diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Fumento is a rational man, but that doesn't mean he's dry. In fact, he's a sharp and witty writer who isn't afraid to joke around: "Many of us, including your humble author, know what it's like to eat six or eight cookies in short order.... Have you ever tried to eat six bananas or pears in one sitting?" Major ad/promo; author tour. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Despite a $39 billion diet industry and the proliferation of "fat free, sugar-free, guilt-free" foods, Americans are fatter than ever and fatter than anyone else in the world. Fumento, a medical journalist and author of the controversial The Myth of Heterosexual AIDS (LJ 11/15/89), blames a variety of factors, from nutritional fads to the cult of victimization to the merchandising of oversized food portions. His basic premise, however, is that we must accept the fact that the more calories we ingest and the fewer we burn off, the fatter we get. True self-esteem, he notes, comes from taking control of our lives and responsibility for our actions. He indicts the myriad weight-loss "miracle" gimmicks and reiterates the unpopular but proven remedy: Eat less and exercise more. Highly recommended.‘Susan B. Hagloch, Tuscarawas Cty. P.L., New Philadelphia (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

``The very act of living in the United States puts you at great risk for obesity,'' warns science writer Fumento in this harangue with a clear message: The fault, dear fatties, lies in overconsumption and underexertion. The formerly fat but now happily and proudly trim Fumento (Science Under Siege, 1992; The Myth of Heterosexual AIDS, 1990) charges that the current craze for low-fat but not-so-low-calorie processed foods is giving consumers bigger waistlines while making megabucks for the food industry. The other profit-makers he pillories, with words like ``huckster'' and ``sham,'' are the writers (and publishers) of diet books, such as Susan Powter for Stop the Insanity and Cliff Sheats for Lean Bodies. He has some strong words for the tactics of Nutri/System and Jenny Craig, too, but it is the National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance that really ticks him off. It is time for an attitude adjustment, he argues, calling for society to return to the values of moderation and setting limits. He'd like to see an anti-obesity campaign along the lines of the anti-smoking campaign that made puffing on cigarettes appear gauche, and he urges activists to enlist the food companies in a campaign against overeating just as they engaged beer makers in campaigns against underage drinking and, further, to pressure fast-food restaurants to reduce the size of their fat-laden portions. Having advised society of its duties, Fumento, whose attempts at humor do little to lighten this lecture, instructs individuals to eat the right foods, i.e., high in fiber and low in caloric density; eat only when hungry; and get a reasonable amount of exercise. A sermon on gluttony and sloth and a jeremiad against those who aid, abet, and profit from these sins. (Author tour)