Ever seen a fat fox? Didn't think so. Why it is that only humans - or
animals in the care of humans - develop obesity? In Ever Seen a Fat
Fox?: Human Obesity Explored Professor Mike Gibney delves into the
history of the human relationship with food. He traces the evolution of
our modern diet and looks to science to offer solutions to the
phenomenon of human obesity. He calls on governments to cease the
single-issue ad-hoc approach and demands a massive governmental
long-term investment in weight management. It is a commonly held belief
that obesity is a recent phenomenon. Professor Gibney reveals that
obesity is nothing new - in fact, the modern upward trend in obesity
began in the mid-nineteenth century. Obesity has been part of human
experience whenever and wherever we've had affluence. There are many who
seek to apportion blame for the epidemic of obesity. Blaming the food
industry for obesity is always popular: sugar is public enemy number
one. Debunking exaggerated views and cutting through the mixed messaging
Gibney demonstrates that most food processing techniques are old,
hundreds and thousands of years old.The genetics of obesity, the
practice of dieting, and the value of physical activity are thoroughly
assessed.The failures of the players in obesity - including the media,
scientists, academic organisations, international agencies, specifically
the WHO, and the food industry are brought into sharp focus. What can we
learn from the fox? An expert in public health and personalised
nutrition with bestselling books and over 300 peer-reviewed papers in
the area, Professor Mike Gibney uncovers the full story behind obesity
based on painstaking research, and offers us tangible solutions to this
very human phenomenon.
