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Minnesota Obesity Center, VA Medical Center, 1 Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417, E-mail: ALLENL{at}umn.edu
Fairburn and Brownells second edition of Eating Disorders and Obesity is a 633-page book with 112 chapters that attempts to cover every aspect of factors contributing to body weight regulation. The contributors are all familiar names to scholars in this research arena. The good news is that this book brings together scientists who generally publish separately; that is, those who investigate obesity and others who study eating disorders. In reality, there is tremendous overlap in these disciplines and both groups should try to understand each others efforts. After introductory sections dealing with the basic regulation of eating and body weight, the psychological and social factors associated with dieting and body image, and measurement methods, the book continues with a detailed review of eating disorders and obesity. All aspects of eating disorders and obesity are included: clinical characteristics, epidemiology, etiology, medical issues, treatment, and prevention.
This is an excellent book for graduate students and medical professionals interested in expanding their understanding of disordered eating. The book is also useful for scholars; however, only in areas with which they are unfamiliar. Although references are included at the end of each chapter, they are not included within the texta style used in textbooks rather than scholarly monographs. Because of the wide variety of topic areas in the field of obesity, it was not possible to include in-depth reviews of all topics. For example, the chapter entitled "Age and Obesity" by Reubin Andres includes the section "Summary of Recent Studies in Older Men and Women." This section mentions 15 publications that report the relation of body mass index to all-cause mortality and an accompanying table. However, this 4-page chapter (including references) contains only 8 citations.
Most of the chapters in this book contain 45 pages of text and some figures or tables. Although the editors refer to the book in the title as a comprehensive handbook, each chapter represents a simple overview. This does not, however, demean its value as a handbook for students and those seeking a broad understanding of eating disorders and obesity. It is also important to note that there is little overlap between chapters and that the book is extremely easy to read.
Most scientists or students interested in obesity and eating disorders will enjoy reading this book. Readers will learn about the most basic scientific studies, will learn how to deal with the families of patients with eating disorders, and will obtain a worldview of the obesity epidemic while reading about the stigmas associated with obesity. Included in the book are tables that classify eating disorders, that summarize outcomes of anorexia and bulimia, that list representative websites related to eating disorders, and that list the major events in the history of obesity research since 1500 AD. A useful addendum for the next addition would be a listing of all the included figures and tables.
In summary, this handbook addresses virtually every area of eating disorders and obesity. The book is well written, a pleasure to read, and a needed addition to the review literature on eating disorders and obesity. It will serve students and practicing specialists well as an educational overview of disordered eating.