Talking Fat: Health vs. Persuasion in the War on Our Bodies

Fat is bad, right? For the last decade we have been so inundated with negative messages about fat that it is revolutionary to think otherwise. This rhetoric has increased prejudice and decreased health in the very people targeted for "help" while increasing profits for those perpetuating it. Considering empirical studies and statistics as well as the actual experience of fat people, Dr. McMichael asserts that the "war on obesity" is about many things, but it is not about health. She calls for a change in policy and perspective on fat in American society. "McMichael provides a thorough and compelling expose of the prejudice that underlies obesity rhetoric and a compassionate, tenable solution," says Linda Bacon, Ph. D., author of Health At Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight. "This book may make you angry, but it will also give you hope."