Fat Nation: A History of Obesity in America

This ambitious effort from U.S health and social welfare policy scholar and CUNY professor Engel (Unaffordable: American Healthcare from Johnson to Trump) details the cultural history of U.S. obesity. The author argues that critical changes to the workforce and the decentralization of communities, paired with the introduction of technology, most notably automation, have drastically contributed to a rise in obesity in post-World World II America. Coverage on health disparities is sufficient, providing adequate correlations of the income gap in obesity. While engaging topically, the arguments are not well supported by current scientific literature, which results in a mostly sociocultural survey of obesity. The references rely heavily on consumer health books and popular news magazines (Newsweek, Time, New York Times Magazine) while peer-reviewed content is cited from a limited number of core journals (Journal of the American Medical Association, American Journal of Public Health, New England Journal of Medicine, and Science). Because of this, the generalized surface-level research lends itself to a more leisurely read than a rigorous scholarly examination of the history of obesity.