Obesity is now officially at epidemic proportions throughout the Western world. New scientific evidence suggests that the time-honoured reasons for weight gain, namely too much food and too little exercise may not be the whole story. Environmental and social factors rife in the 21st century, such as insufficient sleep, overheating of homes and workplaces, and an overuse of prescription drugs may also be to blame. Furthermore, exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals, known as 'chemical calories', may be making all of us vulnerable to weight-gain. Featuring scientifically-reasoned advice, this book reveals the full story about the obesity crisis our society is facing, and what we can do to improve our own lifestyles and the health of the country on the whole.

Author Biography

Pat Thomas is the health editor at The Ecologist magazine and the author of a number of books on environmental health including Cleaning Ourselves to Death and What's in this stuff?: The essential guide to what's really in the products you buy in the supermarket.