Product Description
The world is experiencing an obesity epidemic. In both industrialized and emerging countries, the percentage of adults and children with obesity is increasing annually. It is no longer unusual to encounter a patient with extreme or morbid obesity in the operating room; these patients are routinely scheduled for every type of surgical procedure. Everyone involved in the peri-operative management of the surgical patient with morbid obesity - surgeons, anesthesiologists, internists, psychologists, nurses, nutritionists, respiratory therapists - must be aware of the special needs of these patients. Morbid Obesity: Peri-operative Management, second edition, considers the perioperative care of the morbidly obese patient, from preoperative preparation to intraoperative management and through to their postoperative course. Edited by leading experts in the management of the morbidly obese surgical patient, Morbid Obesity: Peri-operative Management, second edition, provides clear, practical clinical guidance on the management of the extremely obese surgical patient. ... Read more

Product Description
Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges in the 21st century. Devising effective policy and practice to combat childhood obesity is a high priority for many governments and health professionals internationally. This book brings together contributors from around the world and showcases the latest evidence-based research on community and policy interventions to prevent unhealthy weight gain and improve the health and well-being of children. The authors highlight from the evidence available what is and what is not effective and provide recommendations on how to implement and evaluate promising interventions for obesity prevention.

This book is an essential read for all public health practitioners, early childhood professionals, health care providers and clinicians working to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity in their communities. ... Read more

Product Description
Obesity is often accompanied with other diseases, such as diabetes, fatty liver, and hyperlipidemia. Chinese herbs have been found very useful for healing such ailments. Chinese herbal recipes for weight loss and the treatment of obesity-related diseases are provided here. These diseases include constipation, indigestion, diabetes, fatty liver, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Many of the recipes are also classical recipes that have been used for hundreds of years and proven effective for healing the health problems. Explanations in the theories of Chinese medicine and scientific studies of the herbs are also provided.

Excerpts from “Chinese Herbal Recipes for Obesity-Related Diseases”:

“It is especially effective for those with obesity and constipation. It is also used for hypertension. This recipe is modified from the classical recipe….”

“This is a classical recipe of…. It can be used for healing diabetes, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, nephritis, urinary infections, and asthma….”

“It can be used for those obese people with dizziness, tiredness, fatigue, abdominal distension, loose stools, preference for meat and greasy foods, and fatty liver.It was recorded in one case that a man lost 11 kilograms (about 24 pounds) and recovered from hyperlipidemia and fatty liver after taking this formula for 30 days….”

“This recipe is appropriate for those with obesity and hyperlipidemia. It is a classical formula called … from the famous physician Qingren Wang in the Qing Dynasty….”

“… has sedative, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antitussive, and antipyretic effects. Both of the two herbs can lower the blood pressure….” ... Read more

Product Description
As the public health threat of childhood obesity has become clear, the issue has become the focus of local, state, and national initiatives. Many of these efforts are centered on the community environment in recognition of the role of environmental factors in individual behaviors related to food and physical activity. In many communities, for example, fresh produce is not available or affordable, streets and parks are not amenable to exercise, and policies and economic choices make fast food cheaper and more convenient than healthier alternatives.

Community efforts to combat obesity vary in scope and scale; overall, however, they remain fragmented, and little is known about their effectiveness. At the local level, communities are struggling to determine which obesity prevention programs to initiate and how to evaluate their impact.

In this context, the Institute of Medicine held two workshops to inform current work on obesity prevention in children through input from individuals who are actively engaged in community- and policy-based obesity prevention programs. Community perspectives were elicited on the challenges involved in undertaking policy and programmatic interventions aimed at preventing childhood obesity, and on approaches to program implementation and evaluation that have shown promise. Highlights of the workshop presentations and discussions are presented in this volume. ... Read more

Product Description
Chinese medicine emphasizes on personalized healing. Even for the same disorder, different people may have different pathogenic factors and types, and need to be treated differently. According to Chinese medicine, obesity can be classified into several types, such as heat in the spleen and stomach, and dampness and phlegm. More than 20 effective and experienced weight loss herbal recipes in traditional Chinese medicine are collected here. They can be used for healing different types of obesity to provide personalized remedies for healthy weight loss. Recipes are also provided for those with complex symptoms and mixed types. Many of these recipes can heal obesity-associated diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or diabetes. Explanations in Chinese medicine theories and scientific studies of the herbs are provided for each recipe.

Excerpts from “Personalized Chinese Herbal Recipes for Weight Loss in Different Types of Obesity”

“It can reduce the blood pressure. It has been found to inhibit the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species and protect against cytotoxicity in oxidative-stressed cells…”

“…can nourish the heart, liver, and kidney, and improve the visual acuity. It is good for healing dizziness, tinnitus, insomnia, palpitation, hyperlipidemia, angina pectoris, nocturnal emission, early cataract, and hepatitis….”

“It can be used for healing abnormal menstruation, dizziness, headaches, irritability, insomnia, chest pain, and abdominal pain….”

“Boil then simmer the ingredients in 2,000 ml of water for 20 minutes.Strain and add the herbal liquid to a bathtub, mix with warm water.Bathe for 30 minutes each time, two to three times a week….”

“It was recorded that a 38 year-old woman was 25% over weight and had dizziness, fatigue, nausea, constipation, but with normal blood lipids.She took this formula for three months and lost 14 kilograms (equals to 31 pounds).Her other symptoms including dizziness and shortness of breath also disappeared….”

“This recipe was used by 43 patients with obesity. Eight of them lost 2 kilograms (equals to 4.4 pounds), fifteen of them lost 3 to 5 kilograms (equals to 7-11 pounds), ten of them lost 6 to 8 kilograms (equals to 13-18 pounds), and ten other patients lost 9 to 12 kilograms (equals to 20-26 pounds)….”

“This recipe is composed of 17 herbal ingredients.It was used by 23 patients with obesity. After taking it for 30 days to 45 days, nine of them lost 3 to 4 kilograms (equals to 6-9 pounds), eight of them lost 5 to 6 kilograms (equals to 11-13 pounds), and five of them lost 7 to 8 kilograms (equals to 15-18 pounds)….”

“This recipe was used by 58 patients with obesity. After taking it for 15 days to 45 days, 10 of them lost 2 to 3 kilograms (equals to 4-7 pounds), 36 of them lost 4 to 5 kilograms (equals to 9-11 pounds), 12 of them lost 6 to 8 kilograms (equals to 13-18 pounds), and no adverse reactions were observed….” ... Read more

Product Description
Children's health has made tremendous strides over the past century. In general, life expectancy has increased by more than thirty years since 1900 and much of this improvement is due to the reduction of infant and early childhood mortality. Given this trajectory toward a healthier childhood, we begin the 21st-century with a shocking development - an epidemic of obesity in children and youth. The increased number of obese children throughout the U.S. during the past 25 years has led policymakers to rank it as one of the most critical public health threats of the 21st-century. "Preventing Childhood Obesity" provides a broad-based examination of the nature, extent, and consequences of obesity in U.S. children and youth, including the social, environmental, medical, and dietary factors responsible for its increased prevalence. The book also offers a prevention-oriented action plan that identifies the most promising array of short-term and longer-term interventions, as well as recommendations for the roles and responsibilities of numerous stakeholders in various sectors of society to reduce its future occurrence."Preventing Childhood Obesity" explores the underlying causes of this serious health problem and the actions needed to initiate, support, and sustain the societal and lifestyle changes that can reverse the trend among our children and youth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Written by a Committee
This is the report of a government appointed committee. The honest truth is that there's no way to prevent childhood obesity and it's none of the government's business anyway, but that's not what government committees are paid to say.
It is fairly obvious that they were further restricted because there some other things they were not supposed to say.One obvious factor is the change in the ethnic makeup of the United States. The magnitude of this factor can be assessed from the tables and graphs. They point out that childhood obesity is largely associated these days in the United States with poverty. They then provide a table showing that over 35 billion dollars a year are spent by the Federal Government giving food to the poor.
There are some suggestions they were not allowed to make, such as the use of medications, although enormous numbers of kids are on Ritalin type drugs, which keep them short and skinny as well as better behaved.
The question of height is shortchanged. Changes in stature of the average American over years are simply not mentioned.For many years Americans grew taller and taller and no action was called for to thwart the tallness epidemic. We do not know why the same food intake and energy output that makes one child grow vertically makes another grow horizontally.
The decline in smoking over the years is not considered as a causative factor. Birth weight issues are barely mentioned.(They were not supposed to recommend people smoking or having low birth weight babies).
They pay lip-service to evidence-based medicine (a fashionable mantra) but evidence based medicine demands that we consider the adverse effects of any measure.Exercise is regarded as an unalloyed benefit, with no mention that any child may find it uncomfortable, anxiety-producing or embarrassing. They recommend weighing children in school. The experimental studies they mention all show that school physical educations has no effect on childhood obesity but they support increasing it.
Perhaps it is fortunate that the weight-reducing measures proposed are likely to be ineffective. If they really worked they would, presumably, be equally applied to all children and would make some of the thinner ones undesirably thin.
Some of the sentences convey useful information such as "Everyone needs to eat food and consume beverages for daily sustenance." (bet you didn't know that until they told you). There's a very helpful glossary containing definitions of such esoteric words as "disease" "health" "risk" and"prevention"that you might not know the meaning of. The authors themselves are unfamiliar with the word "we."They refer to themselves throughout in the third person as "the committee."
Even with the aid of the glossary it's sometimes difficult to make any sense of sentences written in dense Washingtonian such as "The tension between stigmatization and normalization can be addressed, as it has been for other public health concerns, by focusing on the behaviors that can be changed to promote health rather than on the individual and his or her appearance."I look forward to the English translation.

Examines the modern crisis in children's health issues: childhood obesity
Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health In The Balance examines the modern crisis in children's health issues: childhood obesity. Not only are the environmental, social, medical and historic factors influencing children's weight considered over the long term, but a prevention program identifies the best of short- and long-term interventions and how adults can guide kids away from common pitfalls. Recommendations range from mobilizing parents to making national health a priority overall.
... Read more

Product Description

Within the past two generations alone, child and adolescent obesity has more than doubled for some age groups and tripled for others. Consequently, the extraordinary number of school-age children now being diagnosed with what were once considered adult-onset disorders hypertension, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and related cardio-pulmonary conditions has catapulted pediatric obesity to the forefront of national attention. Yet even as recognition grows, reliable, scientifically tested information and methods often get lost in the media crush of quick fixes and hyped-up news stories.

Book Description
To battle the obesity epidemic in America, health care professionals and policymakers need relevant, useful data on the effectiveness of obesity prevention policies and programs. Bridging the Evidence Gap in Obesity Prevention identifies a new approach to decision making and research on obesity prevention to use a systems perspective to gain a broader understanding of the context of obesity and the many factors that influence it. ... Read more

Product Description
Obesity in childhood and adolescence has reached epidemic proportions in all industrialized countries around the world. Its impact on individual lives as well as on health economics has to be recognized by physicians and the public alike. Among the most common consequences of obesity in the adolescent are hypertension, dyslipidemia, back pain and psychosocial problems. Therapeutic strategies include psychological and family therapy, lifestyle/behavior modification and nutrition education. The role of regular exercise and exercise programs is emphasized. Surgical procedures and drugs used in adult obesity are still not generally recommended for obese adolescents. This book aims to increase physicians' knowledge and understanding of obesity in childhood and adolescence as well as to further public awareness of the health burden and economic dimension of obesity at a young age. ... Read more

Product Description

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally and presents a major challenge to policy makers and clinicians alike. Recent research has suggested that obesity has its origins in early life and that early diet can programme a developing fetus’ and young infant’s future susceptibility to obesity.  This volume contains recent findings presented at the International Conference on Early Nutrition Programming and Health Outcomes in Later Life: Obesity and Beyond - a satellite meeting of the 15th European Congress on Obesity, held in Budapest in April 2007. Basic scientific research, data from epidemiological studies and clinical trial results were all presented during the programme.

This volume includes articles discussing the evidence for an effect of early nutrition programming on later obesity and cardiovascular risk; the growing evidence for an intergenerational cycle of obesity; the role of maternal leptin in programming appetite; possible cellular mechanisms for altered energy balance, including mitochondrial programming and the effects of regulators of metabolism; and how epigenetic changes might be the fundamental underlying mechanism explaining programming effects. Consumer understanding of the concept of early nutrition programming and the extent to which early nutrition programming is taken into account in infant feeding policies are also discussed.

Product Description
Obesity has been predicted to become the number one health problem worldwide in the next decade. Important progress has been made to discover the causes of obesity. In this volume, recent advances in the etiology of obesity, including its pathophysiology and the current nutritional treatment of obesity as well as medications used to treat obesity, are reviewed. Special attention is given to bariatric surgery. This surgical option for the treatment of obesity including reconstructive surgery associated with massive weight loss is discussed in detail. Several nutritional strategies and diets are also reviewed.The psychosocial aspects of obesity, cognitive behavior therapy and interpersonal therapy for people suffering from binge eating disorder that help sustain the benefits of bariatric surgery over long term are also discussed. This publication gives physicians and healthcare workers, including nurses, social workers and psychologists, valuable information for dealing with their patients and making them aware of the latest advances in obesity research. ... Read more

Product Description
Topics include: The Obesity Epidemic, Altered Resting and Exercise Respiratory Physiology in Obesity, Association of Asthma and Other Obstructive Lung Diseases and Obesity, Role of Obesity in Obstructive Sleep Apnea, The Pickwickian Syndrome - Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome, Obesity and Thromboembolic Disease, Medical Therapy of Obesity, Obesity and Bariatric Surgery, Airway Management of Patients with Obesity, Anesthetic Management of Patients with Obesity, Obesity and Acute Lung Injury, Obese Patients in the Intensive Care Units, Obesity Cardiomyopathy, Obesity and Respiratory Diseases in Childhood, Obesity and Respiratory Diseases in the Aging Population. ... Read more

Product Description

Obesity is a major risk factor for a variety of cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary, endocrinologic, metabolic, musculoskeletal, and behavioral disorders.

Product Description
The remarkable increase in the prevalence of obesity among children and youth in the United States over a relatively short timespan represents one of the defining public health challenges of the 21st century. The country is beginning to recognize childhood obesity as a major public health epidemic that will incur substantial costs to the nation. However, the current level of investment by the public and private sectors still does not match the extent of the problem. There is a substantial underinvestment of resources to adequately address the scope of this obesity crisis. At this early phase in addressing the epidemic, actions have begun on a number of levels to improve the dietary patterns and to increase the physical activity levels of young people. Schools, corporations, youth-related organizations, families, communities, foundations, and government agencies are working to implement a variety of policy changes, new programs, and other interventions. These efforts, however, generally remain fragmented and small in scale.Moreover, the lack of systematic monitoring and evaluation of interventions have hindered the development of an evidence base to identify, apply, and disseminate lessons learned and to support promising efforts to prevent childhood obesity. "Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity: How Do We Measure Up?" examines the progress made by obesity prevention initiatives in the United States from 2004 to 2006. This book emphasizes a call to action for key stakeholders and sectors to commit to and demonstrate leadership in childhood obesity prevention, evaluates all policies and programs, monitors their progress, and encourages stakeholders to widely disseminate promising practices. This book will be of interest to federal, state, and local government agencies; educators and schools; public health and health care professionals; private-sector companies and industry trade groups; media; parents; and those involved in implementing community-based programs and consumer advocacy. ... Read more

Product Description
Many patients who are seen by gastroenterologists are overweight or obese. Moreover, gastroenterologists often are consulted to help manage obesity-related gastrointestinal diseases or gastrointestinal complications of weight loss therapy. Therefore, it is important for gastroenterologists to understand the key clinical issues associated with obesity that are discussed in this issue.  In addition, gastroenterologists can provide a valuable clinical service by becoming actively involved in helping their obese patients lose weight. ... Read more

Product Description
Obesity is closely associated with other diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, and cancers. Natural flavonoids are promising dietary supplements for weight loss and treatment of obesity-related diseases, as they have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and anticancer activities. These products are beneficial for weight loss and healing diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and renal diseases. They can decrease blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular risks in overweight men and postmenopausal women. Certain processing methods and the combination with other interventions can make them more effective. Most of the flavonoids are extracted from natural herbs. It is necessary to know which parts to use and how to process these herbal products to have the best effects for the purposes of weight loss and healing relevant diseases. Certain combination of bioactive components, and certain diet patterns can have continued effects on weight loss.

Excerpts:

“… are known to be beneficial for healing diabetes in some animal models of obesity and metabolic syndrome…. These results show that … contents may help relieve the severity of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and renal diseases.”

“… are known to alleviate arterial stiffness, an indicator of cardiovascular risks. … central arterial stiffness was remarkably reduced. In addition, systolic blood pressure was also decreased. … These results suggest that oral supplement of … may help decrease blood pressure and central arterial stiffness, and thus reduce cardiovascular risks.”

“Diets with the … also decreased the levels of serum triglyceride and cholesterol. However, such diets increased the concentration of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, which is beneficial to health. These results suggest that the extracts of … may have an anti-obesity effect. These extracts can reverse the effects of high-fat diets, and regulate the body weight, adipose tissue weight, and serum lipid contents.”

“Pancreatic lipase activity plays an important role in obesity. Studies have shown that oral administration of … can inhibit the absorption of excessive lipid into the body, and reduce the triglyceride (TG) level in plasma. In addition, … can suppress the adipocyte differentiation in a dose dependent manner.… These … have been found to be more effective in inhibiting lipid absorption and differentiation of adipocytes, compared with the effects of their glycosides.”

“… can increase the fat-free mass (FFM) and muscle mass index in obese postmenopausal women…. compared to … alone, the combination of … may lead to significant improvements in body composition parameters. Such combination can help reduce risks of cardiovascular disease in obese postmenopausal women.”

“… is one of the most abundant flavonoids. …It has been produced as a dietary supplement. … It has anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory effects. Activators of … targeting certain tissues have been considered potential treatments for obesity and obesity-related type 2 diabetes. Inhibitors of … have been considered as anticancer candidates. … inhibitors may be useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.”

“It can strengthen the body’s defensive system against infections and common cold.… extracts from … significantly inhibited weight gain and accumulation of visceral fat…. Such effects did not affect the food intake.… It is the component responsible for suppressing the body weight gain and the accumulation of visceral fat weight. In addition, it could significantly decrease blood glucose levels…. is an essential regulator of energy homeostasis.” ... Read more

Product Description
Currently effective remedies are hard to find for the treatment of obesity. The discovery of new therapies for obesity is becoming urgent. As a complementary medicine, acupuncture is becoming more and more popular as an alternative solution that is safe and inexpensive. Clinical and scientific studies have confirmed that acupuncture is effective for weight loss without adverse reactions. In addition, it can help heal obesity-associated diseases including cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, fatty liver, diabetes, and polycystic ovary syndrome. Different methods of acupuncture have been used for weight control. These methods include manual acupuncture, electroacupuncture, acupressure, and auricular or ear acupuncture. The effects and different methods for weight loss using acupuncture are introduced here. Acupuncture may help with weight management through adjusting the functions of the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system. It can also improve mental health. Current studies on these mechanisms are reviewed.

Table of Contents

Part I. Acupuncture for Weight Loss: Effects and Methods
1. Acupuncture for Weight Loss and the Treatment of Obesity: The Benefit is Beyond Weight Management
2. Acupuncture Has Good Effects on Improving the Body Mass Index and Waist-Hip Ratio in Obese Patients
3. Auricular Acupuncture for Weight Loss and the Treatment of Obesity: Methods and Mechanisms
Part II. Acupuncture and the Healing of Obesity-Associated Diseases
4. Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Healing Obesity-Associated Cardiovascular Diseases and Hypertension
5. The Effects of Electroacupuncture on the Treatment of Obesity Complicated with Fatty Liver
6. Multiple Benefits of Acupuncture on Weight Loss: The Effects on Diabetes and the Reduction of Blood Cholesterol Levels
7. Acupuncture for the Treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Obesity
Part III. Acupuncture for Weight Control: How It Works
8. The Mechanisms of Acupuncture on Weight Loss: The Effects on the Nervous System and Emotional Factors
9. Acupuncture Treatment for Weight Loss Can Regulate Functions of the Vegetative Nervous System and Adrenal System
10. Acupuncture on Obese Patients May Adjust the Immune System
Part IV. Seeking the Optimal Programs for Healthy Weight Loss
11. The Potential of Mind-Body Interventions for Weight Loss
12. Is Acupuncture A Better Method for Weight Loss than Diets and Exercises?
13. Combined Alternative Interventions Have Good Effects for Natural Weight Loss

Excerpts from “Acupuncture for Weight Loss and Treatment of Obesity-Related Diseases”:

“… electroacupuncture was performed using the ear points including …. The results showed that there was a more significant weight reduction in the electroacupuncture group than in the diet restriction control group...”

“… treated with body acupuncture using the acupuncture points (acupoints) including …, and auricular acupoint … the improvement of waist circumferences and waist-hip ratio in the acupuncture group was significantly better than those in the medication group…”

“…auricular acupuncture is an effective therapeutic method for weight loss, probably through suppressing the appetite. Various methods can be applied for auricular acupuncture, including…”

“In addition, the therapy of traditional Chinese medicine helped solve the problem of overeating, and improved indexes of the blood pressure, .… acupuncture and moxibustion are effective therapeutic methods for obesity-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and hypertension...”

“…the total effective rate for weight loss was 80.0% and the total effective rate for curing fatty liver was 80.0%…”

“These effects indicate that acupuncture has potentials as a treatment of obesity-related diseases such as diabetes…. It can reduce the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL cholesterol levels…” ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

brief synopsis
i was expecting more detail, but maybe that is because i am used to book books. this is basicly an article. nevertheless with some digging, you are able to extrapolate some point combinations ... but none that i don't use anyway.. ... Read more

Product Description
Childhood Obesity Prevention in Texas summarizes the information gathered at a workshop held February 5-6, 2009, in Austin, Texas. At this workshop, committee members met with Texas lawmakers, public officials, and community leaders to exchange ideas and to view first-hand strategies that are being implemented effectively at the state and local levels to prevent and reverse childhood obesity.

Texas leaders at the workshop expressed the strong belief that the state's economic vitality and security depend on the health of its population. Accordingly, the state is no longer simply describing the personal, community, and financial costs of its obesity crisis; it is taking proactive steps to address the problem through strategic initiatives. An overarching strategy is to address obesity by targeting the state's youth, in whom it may be possible to instill healthy behaviors and lifestyles to last a lifetime. A guiding principle of these efforts is that they should be evidence based, community specific, sustainable, cost-effective, and supported by effective partnerships. Moreover, the goal is for the responsibility to be broadly shared by individuals, families, communities, and the public and private sectors. ... Read more

Product Description
Thinking in Circles About Obesity has been “Highly Commended” in the “Popular Medicine” category of the 2010 BMA Book Awards.

Low-carb…low-fat…high-protein…high-fiber…Americans are food-savvy, label-conscious, calorie-aware—and still gaining weight in spite of all their good intentions. Worse still, today’s children run the risk of a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

Thinking in Circles About Obesity brings a healthy portion of critical thinking, spiced with on-target humor and lively graphics, to the obesity debate. Systems scholar Tarek Hamid proposes that a major shift in perspective is needed to address the problem. This book unites systems (non-linear) thinking and information technology to provide powerful insights and practical strategies for managing our bodies, as well as our health. Applying these creative, business-tested techniques to personal health lets readers approach weight problems like CEOs—not bean-counters!—and connect the elusive links between the biological, environmental, social, and psychological factors that contribute to overweight and obesity, yo-yo dieting and willpower issues. The author’s clear insights dispel dieters’ unrealistic expectations and illuminate dead-end behaviors to tap into a deeper understanding of how the body works, why it works that way, and how to improve the bottom line. For optimum results, he includes innovative tools for:

• Understanding why diets almost always fall short of our expectations.
• Assessing weight gain, loss, and goals with greater accuracy.
• Abandoning one-size-fits-all solutions in lieu of personal solutions that do fit.
• Replacing outmoded linear thinking with feedback systems thinking.
• Getting the most health benefits from information technology.
• Making behavior and physiology work in sync instead of in opposition.

Given the current level of the weight crisis, the ideas in Thinking in Circles About Obesity have much to offer the clinical or health psychologist, the primary care physician, the public health professional the parent and the lay reader. For those struggling with overweight, this book charts a new path in health decision-making, to see beyond calorie charts, Body Mass Indexes, and silver bullets.

Customer Reviews (4)

A must complement to other weight-loss self-help books
This is an excellent book to read and to "complement" whatever one's favorite weight-loss guide might be. I wish I read it first, for it would have made me a more intelligent "consumer" of the ton of self-help books and advice out there.

It is a comprehensive, well-researched, and fun to read book that enhances our understanding of how our body regulates energy, and the many (reciprocal) interactions between our health and our environment.

Parents must read this book
A must read for parents... who need to address the systemic/long-term risks of this complex but slow developing threat before children get trapped in lifestyles which ultimately result in chronic obesity.

As Dr. Hamid argues, first and foremost, parents need to understand that a major driver of the obesity epidemic--for both children and adults--is the mistaken belief that it is O.K. (normal?) to defer to the body's wisdom and to "cruise" on automatic feeding control. That is, to regulate feeding behavior in accordance with our body's hard-wired biological drives--which drive us to eat to our physiological limits when food is readily available and selectively focusing on foods high in energy density.

To maintain a healthy body weight, our children thus need to learn to replace the passive model of involuntary (automatic) feeding regulation and assert cognitive control to proactively resist the obesifying aspects of the current environment. (In some oriental cultures, for example, children are taught "not to eat until hungry, and when eating to stop before feeling full.") And here's the really hard part: not for a week, or a month, but for a lifetime.

Many parents, for example, assume that children are fundamentally incapable of regulating their food intake--determining what, when, and how much to eat. Thus, to en sure adequate, well-balanced food intake, we see many parents, rather than empower their children with cognitive skills to make their own healthy nutrition choices, simply take-over the decision-making responsibility on their kids' behalf. They do this instinctively and, of course, with the best intentions--because they believe they can do it better or more easily; or because they do not want to saddle their children with the onerous respon sibilities that personal control entails. It is a common pitfall that many parents fall into--and a risky one.

Obviously, parents need to exert some control over their children's dietary options--ensuring, for example, that a variety of rea sonably healthful foods and snacks are readily available on the kitchen's shelves. If the house is stocked with cookies, cakes, candies, chips, sodas and ice cream, naturally that's what children will want to eat. But if parents go too far in tightly controlling the what, when, and how much of feeding, they risk seriously impeding their children's abilities to build self-regulatory competence and thereby promote the very problems they are attempting to avoid--overeating and weight gain.

It would be comforting to know that Harry Reid has read this book.
In terms of fair disclosure; I am an avid SDer ( i.e. Systems Thinker ) so much of this book
was a review of concepts I have learned and to that extent my reading this book
has the author `preaching to the choir'.

That said; everyone can benefit from reading this book
to get perspective in terms of realistic expectations
for preventing obesity in the future.

The Systems Thinking perspective is needed in order to make people keenly aware of the
long delays involved between actions and outcomes/risks with respect to obesity.
A heightened awareness and perspective on prevention are the takeaways from this book
in terms ofindividual responsibility that acknowledges the pressures to overeat
that exist in this day & age in our society.

This book does an excellent job illustrating how to communicate that awareness in a way
that leads to changed behavior and healthier living.

interesting approach to health
A very good look ata systems approach to health management. This shows just how complex, the causes of any health problem can be and why quick fixes never work in the long term. All the diet and surgical fads,are just dealing with a small part of a large system and eventually stop working or make things worse. By addressing the problem from a systems approach,looking at all the various parts biological,psychological,social etc. We can hopefully come up with a better long term solution. It also avoids blaming one part of the system,the person,society or the media. Systems theory could hopefullybe adopted for a number of health problems and this well written ( and illustrated) book will be a kick start. ... Read more