The Battle of the Bulge: A History of Obesity Research
by George A. Bray
Weight. It’s probably the number one thing on the minds of most Americans these days – and given the number of diet books; weight loss centers; and low-fat, low-carb, high-protein prepackaged foods on the market, it’s an issue so many people are seriously trying to tackle.
In The Battle of the Bulge: A History of Obesity Research, George A. Bray makes a comprehensive survey of weight throughout time. Beginning with evidence of overweight individuals in the earliest times through artifacts, legends, and writings, Bray makes it clear that obesity isn’t a problem isolated to the modern day. Much attention is paid to the medical advancements that led to greater understanding of the physical and psychological factors that contribute to weight gain and obesity. In addition to the physical and mental pain obesity can cause, he also examines recurring trends in terms of diets and treatments to point out the futility of fad diets. In all, this scientific-minded approach to the study of overweight seeks to answer, through data and observation three core issues: What is obesity, how did we get that way, and what can we do about it?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. George A. Bray is a university (Boyd) professor at the Pennington Center of Louisiana State University. Valedictorian of his undergraduate class at Brown University, he went on to earn his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. Active in numerous professional societies, including the American Association of the History of Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the American Medical Association, and the American Federation for Medical Research, to name just a few, he is also a heavily published author, having produced a number of books and articles on the topic of obesity. He and his wife share eight children.
(2007, paperback, 896 pages)
Weight. It’s probably the number one thing on the minds of most Americans these days – and given the number of diet books; weight loss centers; and low-fat, low-carb, high-protein prepackaged foods on the market, it’s an issue so many people are seriously trying to tackle.
In The Battle of the Bulge: A History of Obesity Research, George A. Bray makes a comprehensive survey of weight throughout time. Beginning with evidence of overweight individuals in the earliest times through artifacts, legends, and writings, Bray makes it clear that obesity isn’t a problem isolated to the modern day. Much attention is paid to the medical advancements that led to greater understanding of the physical and psychological factors that contribute to weight gain and obesity. In addition to the physical and mental pain obesity can cause, he also examines recurring trends in terms of diets and treatments to point out the futility of fad diets. In all, this scientific-minded approach to the study of overweight seeks to answer, through data and observation three core issues: What is obesity, how did we get that way, and what can we do about it?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. George A. Bray is a university (Boyd) professor at the Pennington Center of Louisiana State University. Valedictorian of his undergraduate class at Brown University, he went on to earn his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. Active in numerous professional societies, including the American Association of the History of Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the American Medical Association, and the American Federation for Medical Research, to name just a few, he is also a heavily published author, having produced a number of books and articles on the topic of obesity. He and his wife share eight children.
(2007, paperback, 896 pages)
