The Body Size and Health Debate (Health and Medical Issues Today)

Has the connection between body size and overall health been overstated for decades? This book examines how our dogged efforts to eradicate obesity may be doing more harm than good and explores alternative ways to measure and encourage health.Its fair to say that Americans are obsessed with body size and weight―whether it’s in the name of health and disease prevention or the idealization of unrealistically thin proportions. But trying to lose weight and drop clothing sizes is healthy right? Or is it not healthy in many cases?In this book the latest in Greenwood’s Health and Medical Issues Today series Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Certified Sport Psychology Consultant Christine L. B. Selby PhD examines the often confusing information―and misinformation―that exists on obesity and its connection to overall health. She provides a broad examination of this timely topic addressing the rate of obesity in the United States questioning the appropriateness of BMI to gauge overall health and well-being discussing controversies related to weight and health including excessive dieting and providing real-world scenarios that clearly illustrate major concepts related to weight and health. The book also summarizes a relatively new and still controversial approach to improving well-being that takes the focus off the number on the scale. But can individuals really be happy and healthy at any sizePresents a different perspective on the nations obesity epidemic with information about the effectiveness of the current method of measuring obesity body mass index (BMI)Provides the most current data about the rate of obesity among both sexes various age groups and different ethnicitiesExamines the social and political efforts to address obesity in the United States along with the impact of these efforts on those who are obeseDiscusses an alternative to weight loss designed to focus on health behaviors rather than how much someone weighs