This report uses data from the USDA's 1994-96 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and the 1994-196 Diet and Health Knowledge Survey to ascertain whether economic factors help explain weight differences among adults. Weight difference among demographic subgroups, and difference in specific behaviors, health awareness, and eating patterns can be linked to weight outcomes. An economic framework helps explain how socioeconomic factors affect an individual's ability to achieve good health. Our results suggest that income, household composition, and formal education help explain variation in behaviors and attitudes that are significantly associated with weight outcomes.

The role of nutrition education is to address the numerous personal and environmental influences on food choices and assist individuals in practicing healthy behaviors. Nutrition Education, Second Edition provides students with a simple, straightforward model to easily design effective nutrition education. Using a six-step process, it integrates theory, research, and practice, providing advice on designing, implementing, and evaluating theory-based nutrition education.

The obesity epidemic and the growing debate about what, if any, public health policy should be adopted is the subject of endless debates within the media and in governments around the world. Whilst much has been written on the subject, this book takes a unique approach by looking at the obesity epidemic from an economic perspective. Written in a language accessible to non-specialists, the authors provide a timely discussion of evolving nutrition policies in both the developing and developed world, discuss the factors influencing supply and demand of food supply, and review the evidence for various factors which may explain recent trends in diets, weight, and health. The traditional economic model assumes people choose to be overweight as part of a utility maximisation process that involves choices about what to eat and drink, how much time to spend on leisure, food preparation, and exercise, and choices about appearance and health. Market and behavioural failures, however, such as time available to a person, education, costs imposed on the health system and economic productivity provide the economic rationale for government intervention. The authors explore various policy measures designed to deal with the epidemic and examine their effectiveness within a cost-benefit analysis framework. While providing a sound economic basis for analysing policy decisions, the book also aims to show the underlying limits of the economic framework in quantifying changes in public well-being.

Obesity is one of the most pressing health issues affecting our country. This unique volume is the first to apply behavioral economicsóthe integration of psychological and economic knowledgeóto the study of eating behavior. The text demonstrates how this discipline can be used to understand why it so difficult for individuals to control their eating habits, and helps readers use this knowledge to create and improve public health nutrition programs and policies. The text examines dietary choices and obesity through a multidisciplinary lens of biological, psychological, and social factors, and draws from the disciplines of behavioral economics, nutrition, public health, and health promotion. Based on the premise that humans are hardwired to make judgment errors and need a ìnudgeî to make decisions in their best interests, the book argues that increasing consumer well-being requires changing an individualís personal environment. It describes the power of irrational forces that compete with sensible judgment in regard to food choices, and provides strategies for improving decisions and health habits. Highly accessible, the text will be of interest to students, professors, and practitioners in nutrition-related health programs, as well as to public health policy makers. Key Features: Assesses the social determinants that affect nutrition choices, including food availability, nutrition education, income, culture, and other key factors Demonstrates how flawed decisions and self-control difficulties can affect eating behavior Provides a valuable framework for improving public health through understanding and changing the way individuals make food decisions Explains the link between obesity rates and economics of food choice (fast food, food marketing, and social factors) Provides strategies and tools to help people improve their decision-making and health habits

Providing a fascinating insight into the factors that influence individual choices regarding eating habits, diet and other behavioral patterns relevant to obesity, this book offers a new perspective about the relationship of obesity to poverty and inequality. The authors explore a unique socioeconomic model that helps build the framework to understand the causes of obesity and its relation to health, science, and economics. An essential read for policy makers who are seeking a framework to address this problem.

A guide to how America became the fattest nation, and how the food industry and the government keep it that way. In The Fattening of America, renowned health economist Eric Finkelstein, along with business writer Laurie Zuckerman, reveal how the US economy has become the driving force behind our expanding waistlines. Blending theory, research, and engaging personal anecdotes, the authors discuss how declining food costs—especially for high-calorie, low-nutrient foods—and an increasing usage of technology, which make Americans more sedentary, has essentially led us to eat more calories than we burn off. Praise for The Fattening of America “[Finkelstein and Zuckerman] show that our entire society profits from making people fat and then either keeping them fat or making them thin again. When you understand how these powerful forces work, you can do a better job of resisting them—and staying healthy.” —Jack Challem, bestselling author of The Food-Mood Solution and Stop Prediabetes Now “Everyone who eats food in America must read this book. It is a comprehensive guide to how we’ve become the fattest nation on the planet and how the food industry, in cahoots with the government, makes us one of the least healthy nations.” —Fred Pescatore, MD, MPH, CCN, author of The Hamptons Diet “The authors have done an excellent job talking to mainstream America about obesity. It brings together all of the latest research and packages it in a way that is engaging for the average person. I very much enjoyed the book and would recommend it for anyone interested in obesity. Well done.” —James O. Hill, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and author of The Step Diet: Count Steps, Not Calories to Lose Weight and Keep It Off Forever “An important book for everyone interested in gaining a better understanding of the underlying causes behind the obesity epidemic and options for addressing it.” —Barry Popkin, Carla Smith Chamblee Distinguished Professor of Global Nutrition at the University of North Carolina

Focuses on the economics of obesity. This work assesses the impact of food quality, access to fast food, food prices, legislation, and other factors on diet, physical activity, and body weight. It calculates the impact of obesity on hospital costs and examines the externalities imposed by obesity through health insurance.