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Does Fat Kill? A Critique of the Epidemiological Evidence

  • Chapter
Debating Obesity

Abstract

The current war on fat is proceeding on the basis of several (usually unstated) assumptions. In particular, the recent explosion of public health interventions across North America, Europe and Asia that address the so-called obesity epidemic are based on the following beliefs, which in turn form the basis of the recent spate of warnings issued by obesity researchers and the public health establishment — warnings which have been repeated countless times in the mass media all across the world:

  1. (1)

    A strong correlation exists between weight and health risk.

  2. (2)

    This correlation reflects a direct causal relationship. People within the narrow range of ‘ideal’ weight are healthier than people who are not, because they avoid the detrimental causal effects of overweight and obesity.

  3. (3)

    Significant long-term weight-loss is a practical goal, and will improve health.

  4. (4)

    The cost-benefit ratio involved in trying to make people thinner justifies using scarce public health funding to pursue this outcome.1

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Authors
  1. Paul Campos
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Bath, UK

    Emma Rich

  2. University of Limerick, Ireland

    Lee F. Monaghan

  3. Coventry University, UK

    Lucy Aphramor

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© 2011 Paul Campos

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Campos, P. (2011). Does Fat Kill? A Critique of the Epidemiological Evidence. In: Rich, E., Monaghan, L.F., Aphramor, L. (eds) Debating Obesity. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230304239_2

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