According to conventional wisdom, excess fat is an important cause of chronic disease, and the epidemic increase in obesity portends a coming health crisis.
Four recent and forthcoming books by academic researchers argue that in fact the consequences of this trend for public health remain far less certain--and almost certainly less dire--than commonly suggested by obesity experts, government authorities and media reports.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)
W. Wayt Gibbs is a contributing editor for Scientific American based
in Seattle. He also works as a scientific editor at Intellectual Ventures. Credit: Nick Higgins
