The Fattening of America -- Contents -- Introduction -- How This Book Is Organized -- Is Obesity a Problem Worth Fighting? -- Chapter 1: Craze or Crisis? -- So Why Now? -- My Soccer Team Eats Oranges -- So How about Adults? Are We Gaining, Too? -- A Growing Waistline Can Be Bad for Your Health -- But Are We the Only Ones Gaining Weight? -- The Longer You Stay, the Bigger You Get -- Chapter 2: I'll Take a Deep-Fried Coca-Cola -- First Things First -- Cheap Food Gets Cheaper -- The Rise of French-Fried Potatoes -- Please Pass the High-Fructose Corn Syrup -- A Full Pound of Sausage, Bacon, and Ham: Have a Meaty Morning -- Too Much of a Good Thing -- Kids Are Also Drinking the Kool-Aid -- When Is Enough Enough? -- Chapter 3: Why We're Moving Less -- But I Don't Have Time! -- Not Quite the Jetsons, But . . . -- Just Be a Marathon Runner -- We're Not Farmers Anymore -- Sprawling Out -- Our Kids Are Also Slowing Down -- Wrapping It Up -- Chapter 4: So Where Else Can We Lay the Blame? -- Blame Mom and Dad -- Then Just Blame Mom (You Know You Will Anyway) -- Blame the Meds -- Blame the Cigs (One More Theory Goes Up in Smoke) -- Blame the All-Nighter -- Blame the Air Conditioner (Not Cool) -- Blame Pollution (It's a Dirty Business) -- Blame That Nasty "Fat Bug" -- It's the Economy, Stupid -- Chapter 5: Beware: Moral Hazard -- Just Bill My Health Insurance -- Is Obesity as Bad as It Used to Be? -- Just Take a Pill or Get a Procedure -- Chapter 6: So We're Fat-Who Cares? -- Is Uncle Al Overweight? -- C'mon Now, We're Only Utility Maximizing -- Now, Let's Tear This Argument Apart (and Put It Back Together) -- So Should Dad (and the Government) Care that Uncle Al Is Obese? -- Just Follow the Money -- Chapter 7: The Role of Government -- Market Failures -- Externalities -- Market Power -- Public Goods -- Obesity and National Defense.

Imperfect (Asymmetric) Information -- Is There a Role for Government? -- Chapter 8: Weighing the Public Policy Issues (for Adults) -- Equity -- Irrationality -- Compelling Public Need -- Revisiting Past Policy -- The Road Ahead -- Summing Up -- Chapter 9: Weighing the Public Policy Issues (for Kids) -- First, a Step Back -- Child Abuse? -- School -Based Regulations -- Your Mouth Will Really Groove -- In Closing -- Chapter 10: The Employer's Dilemma -- Why Don't Businesses Invest More in the Health of Their Workforce? -- The Dirty Secret about Employee Wellness Programs -- So What's an Employer to Do? -- Could These Programs Get Me in Legal Hot Water? -- Chapter 11: The ObesEconomy -- Just How Big Is the Weight-Loss Industry? -- Just Take a Pill -- Bigger and Better -- Invest in New Technology -- In the Name of Progress -- Chapter 12: How to Lose Weight Like an Economist -- Economic Weight-Loss Techniques -- A Few More Secrets to Success -- Conclusion -- Notes -- About the Authors -- Index.