A mantra has developed in the late 20th century and early 21st century that has an underlying bias again overweight and obese individuals, who are blamed for their “disease” and told by society to lose weight or suffer the consequences. Art was used from 22,000 BC through the 19th century to glorify obesity, while art of the current era vilifies or mocks obesity. Considerable discrimination awaits the obese child, adolescent, or adult in current society, whether in the form of bullying in school, limited social life, or job refusal. Concern over obesity leads many youth to unhealthy diet practices that involve starvation and/or bulimic features. In this book, leading international experts discuss obesity in adolescence.

Indeed, what are the ethics of obesity management for the health care professionals of today? Perhaps proper obesity management begins with an examination of why obesity was desired for so many centuries, an acceptance that obesity is not the patient’s fault, that many overweight/obese individuals are happy as well as healthy and that the economics of current obesity “treatment” must be reexamined and reconfigured.

This book has been created and edited by four leading physicians in child health and human development