Is obesity an illness? What is the connection between weight and genetics? These and other issues are explored in this balanced, in-depth introduction to the medical, scientific, legal, and cultural issues surrounding obesity and its import in healthcare.

This volume in the Health and Medical Issues Today series provides everything a student requires to understand the issues surrounding obesity, at the same time offering a springboard for further research into the issue.



Every day, newspapers and television news programs present stories on the latest controversies over healthcare and medical advances, but they do not have the space to provide detailed background on the issues. Websites and weblogs provide information from activists and partisans intent on presenting their side of a story. But where can students - or even ordinary citizens - go to obtain unbiased, detailed background on the medical issues affecting their daily lives? This volume in the Health and Medical Issues Today series provides readers and researchers a balanced, in-depth introduction to the medical, scientific, legal, and cultural issues surrounding obesity and its import in today's world of healthcare.