It seems almost daily we read newspaper articles and watch news reports exposing the growing epidemic of obesity in America. Our government tells u...
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Mar 09, 2011
Angela
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In Fat Politics Oliver sets out to prove what a few moments of reflection should make fairly obvious: body fat is, for the most part, a symptom of many of the same things that cause disease rather than a cause of disease in itself. He makes a persuasive case that being active and fat is much healthier than being sedentary and thin, and that our attempts to target only our weights are unhelpful and occasionally harmful to our health. The figures backing up fat stigma being worse on women (white w
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Aug 25, 2007
Chris
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Love this book. I'm still not sure I buy the premise, but Oliver's a good writer and a fantastic researcher. Anyone interested in health policy should read this book. OK--that sounds boring, but the book is not. Read it.
May 18, 2011
Tara
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Fat Politics is tremendous and courageous. It offers a well written argument about the obesity 'epidemic.' Instead, obesity becomes a proxy that stops policy makers addressing issues with work, leisure, stress, health and automobility. It is easier to pop a diet pill than to think about the problems resulting from unlimited choices, and to celebrate an aspiration to be free rather than healthy.
The book provides a sustained argument. It is well referenced and the case is effect More...
The book provides a sustained argument. It is well referenced and the case is effect More...
Mar 16, 2008
elise
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I am not a person who struggles with my weight but I found this book to be facinating. this book reminds of when people say there was a conspiracy for 9/11, the government planned it. I typically don't believe that stuff. But, when I read this book, I wonder. It talks about the old measurments that are still being used today to designate if someone is over weight. And, the people that set guidlines for these things are all people that are connected to phamecudical (sorry can't spell?) companies.
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Jul 23, 2008
E
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I had high hopes for this book because I hadn't come across a specifically polisci analysis of fat politics before, but it was a serious disappointment. While I agree with most of the author's basic points and some of the factual stuff is interesting, his methodology sucked, and he reduced all feminist analyses to a singular "feminist perspective" where everything revolves around a "male conspiracy." At one point he actually writes that "many feminists" might agree
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Jun 02, 2011
Rebecca
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This book was sometimes hard to get through (read a little like a textbook), but the information and his research notes were very interesting. It certainly caused me to question many of the ideas that I had believed previously. I felt his conclusion was slightly lacking, but still a book I would recommend.
Jun 21, 2009
Jenny
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I'm interested in the politics of food, so I picked this up since it came up during a search for the Omnivore's Dilemma at the library.
While I'm not sure that I agree with Mr. Oliver's arguments, he does make some interesting ones, esp. the premise of why WASPs are more opposed to being fat than other cultures. I did not buy this argument as it seemed too limited in it's research -- in case you didn't notice, Asians are also "opposed" to being "fat" -- in any ca More...
While I'm not sure that I agree with Mr. Oliver's arguments, he does make some interesting ones, esp. the premise of why WASPs are more opposed to being fat than other cultures. I did not buy this argument as it seemed too limited in it's research -- in case you didn't notice, Asians are also "opposed" to being "fat" -- in any ca More...
Nov 30, 2010
Paul
rated it:
very eye-opening - "epidemic" created overnight without the country gaining a pound, just by changing the legal definition of "obese" from one arbitrary Body Mass Index, to a lower one.
I recommended it to a friend, and she had this to say:
"Just finished Fat Politics yesterday, and I really enjoyed it. It's certainly not perfect; there were many times when I would read his conclusions from research/studies and just shake my head. But there's a lot More...
I recommended it to a friend, and she had this to say:
"Just finished Fat Politics yesterday, and I really enjoyed it. It's certainly not perfect; there were many times when I would read his conclusions from research/studies and just shake my head. But there's a lot More...
Jan 27, 2012
Catherine
rated it:
Excellent. I couldn't put the book down. I encourage anyone to read this book. It will change your outlook regarding the diet and medical industries.
Oct 18, 2011
Karen
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I read this on the Kindle edition. Part of me is glad I didn't spend extra for a dead tree version, part is frustrated because I still find Kindle editions difficult to go back and browse for information. I still find it easier to flip pages than click through. My clippings file doesn't necessarily make it easier to find what I seek either.
When I've sorted out my opinion on this book, I'll write more.
When I've sorted out my opinion on this book, I'll write more.
Mar 09, 2008
Christine
rated it:
It gives another perspective on the obesity epidemic. I don't agree with everything the author states, but it's interesting, nonetheless. Good for public health professionals interested in chronic disease prevention.
Apr 23, 2008
I read a chapter out of this book for my Politics of Public Affairs class. It was pretty interesting. Perhaps I can handle the whole book?
Nov 27, 2007
Joyce
rated it:
read this for a medical sociology class. interesting argument but full of holes
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