NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 29, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- The fight against the bulge is not an individual effort; it is also a societal concern. Kent M. Weeks goes beyond the figures and the causes and analyzes the serious consequences of an overweight and obese nation in his new book A Leaner America, Private Choices and Public Policies. Obesity has just recently been recognized as an epidemic, causing thousands of weight-related deaths in a year and affecting even our children. Private and public policymakers can make this new book a reference in how they can help curb an overweight population and its dire health consequences.
What's behind this quiet revolution is the way we think about overweight and obesity. In Leaner America, author Kent Weeks provides the context for understanding this "startling epidemic" and offers a road map for a broad-based approach to reduce the explosive growth in overweight and obesity.
The problem is real. In the last two decades, the percentage of the population that is obese has doubled. Tommy Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services, recently stated bluntly, "We're just too darn fat, ladies and gentlemen, and we're going to do something about it." In his book, Weeks shows why overweight and obesity should be a cause of concern for individuals and for the public and private sectors.
Weeks argues, "We need concerted action to help support individuals in making wise choices about healthy eating and activity." In an even-handed approach, he sets forth a community-based and policy-oriented approach to actions needed by parents, spouses, educators, consumers, employers, health care providers, food providers, and policy-makers. He also provides an extensive list of Internet resources and helpful endnotes.
The public should focus on prevention and on medical and health issues, and not merely aesthetics. Behind the statistics is a human face. The book also contains an interview of Stanley, who weighs 300 pounds and has lost around 1,000 pounds in a series of dieting attempts. The sixty-year-old candidly shares his concerns and difficulties in managing his weight. Stanley is everyone who has experienced lifelong dieting and weight gain.
About the Author
Kent M. Weeks is a principal in a Nashville law firm. A Fulbright scholar, Weeks earned a law degree from Duke University and a Ph.D. in political science from Case Western Reserve University. He has broad experience as an attorney, professor, writer, and lecturer, both nationally and internationally. He has been recognized for his excellence in teaching and scholarship. Weeks has devoted several years to researching, interviewing, consulting, writing, and reflecting about obesity and its implications.
An avid hiker, cyclist, and scuba diver, Weeks also has a deep and abiding commitment to children. He served as the chairman of the first elected Nashville School Board and on many other civic boards.
A Leaner America * By Kent M. Weeks
Private Choices & Public Policies
Trade Paperback; $20.99; 179 pages; 1-4134-5003-2
Cloth Hardback; $30.99; 179 pages; 1-4134-5004-0
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