Reference Reviews

Doug's Student Reference Room

Perspectives on Diseases and Disorders: Obesity. Edited by Tom Metcalf and Gena Metcalf. 136 p. Detroit, MI: Thomson Gale, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-7377-3873-5. $34.95.

Perspectives on Diseases and Disorders: Obesity This volume lays out the growing problem of obesity in stark detail: more than two out of three Americans is either overweight or obese and obesity among adolescents has increased to 15% of the population. Obesity is a primary factor in more than 400,000 deaths annually; after tobacco, it is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. This volume describes the complex combination of factors that contribute to obesity, including sleep debt, pollution, modern diets, sedentary lifestyles and genetics. The Body Mass Index is explained, providing readers the ability to assess the appropriateness of their own weight. Paired essays argue for and against the labeling of obesity as a disease; the merits of choosing gastric bypass surgery as a treatment; the degree to which public schools should be involved in fighting obesity; and the role that sweeteners have played in the increase of obesity among Americans. The personal narratives in the final section include an account of gastric bypass surgery, a story of a 9-year-old girl whose obesity was the result of type II diabetes, and reflections from a mother who struggled to support her overweight young daughter instead of denying her problem. This volume represents a worthy introduction to a difficult issue. The overview articles introduce the topic clearly, and the second section effectively frames the controversies surrounding obesity. The personal accounts at the end are sure to generate interest in the topic and could be used by classroom teachers to introduce in-depth research. Recommended for middle school, high school and public libraries.

—Doug Achterman