The Obesity Myth

The Obesity Myth

2004 • 304 pages

Ratings1

Average rating5

15

YES. Just YES.

I've been really grateful for the experience to work in eating disorder (of all sorts) treatment, and it's raised my awareness about the absolute necessity of fat activism a significant amount. Here's the thing: feeling bad about your body, for whatever reason, has never helped anyone be healthier. Research is great–I am, after all, a social scientist–but it is less great when politics and hysteria play integral roles in how research is conducted, interpreted, and disseminated to the general public. Campos is a lawyer, not an obesity researcher himself, which I think really allows him to bring a critical eye and an appropriate sense of moral outrage to this issue. Even if obesity isn't of personal or professional relevance to you, this is a fascinating read. Tore through it on two plane rides, and would recommend it to anyone.

October 1, 2012