Foreword

In The Affluent Society (1958), economist John Kenneth Galbraith noted that More die in the United States of too much food than of too little. Galbraith's observation is even more true today than it was in the 1950s. Overweight affects many persons in the United States and its prevalence is increasing. One might say that overweight has been the deadly undertow of our nation's rising tide of prosperity in the 20th century.

Overweight has serious adverse effects on health and longevity. It is associated with elevated serum cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and non–insulin-dependent diabetes. Overweight also increases risk for gallbladder disease and some types of cancers and has been implicated in the development of osteoarthritis of the weight-bearing joints. The burdens of the health impairments caused by overweight are borne disproportionately by women, the poor, and members of …