The Fattening of America

Chapter One

What does Uncle Al, a rich American attorney, have in common with the women of Mauritania, a barren West African country?

The answer is this: Mauritanian women are getting thin for the very same reason that Uncle Al is getting fat-as a result of a changing economy.

You see, in Mauritania, a girl can possess no greater currency than rolls upon rolls of fat. In this vast nomadic nation, thin women are a sign of poverty. In contrast, voluptuous wives and daughters are visible displays of a man's wealth and power. So in a society where obesity is seen as a conduit to a rich husband, it became traditional for well-intentioned mothers and grandmothers to force-feed their daughters and granddaughters.

In recent years, however, force-feeding is fast disappearing. Why? Well, it's not because of the government's efforts to warn women of the dangers of obesity. These radio blasts were largely ignored in a society where fat is revered. No, it's because years of drought have put the country in crisis. With food increasingly ... read full excerpt from The Fattening of America: How The Economy Makes Us Fat, If It Matters, and What To Do About It ebook