Killer Fat

Killer Fat examines how obesity became framed as an "epidemic" in the United States between 1986-2007. Through interviews, media analysis, and ethnographic research, sociologist Natalie Boero investigates the social construction of obesity as a pressing public health crisis. The book analyzes key players and institutions that shaped public discourse around weight, including medical authorities, news media, reality television, and public health campaigns. Boero documents the rise of weight loss surgery and traces how ideas about obesity intersect with gender, race, and class. The research draws from fieldwork at weight loss surgery informational sessions and support groups, along with content analysis of news coverage and popular media representations. Interviews with medical professionals, public health officials, and weight loss surgery patients provide firsthand perspectives. This sociological study reveals how medical, cultural, and political forces combine to produce dominant narratives about body size and health in contemporary American society. The analysis raises questions about medicalization, social control, and the relationship between science and moral panic.

Readers value the book's critical analysis of how media and society frame obesity as a crisis, with several noting its thorough examination of news coverage and public health campaigns. Academic readers appreciate the ethnographic research and interviews with weight loss surgery patients. Readers liked: - Clear documentation of how obesity discourse evolved - Balance between academic analysis and accessibility - Strong theoretical framework - Inclusion of real patient experiences Readers disliked: - Dense academic language in some sections - Limited scope focused mainly on California - Some repetitive analysis - Short length at 176 pages Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (23 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (8 ratings) One reader noted it "provides an important perspective on how obesity became medicalized." Another criticized that it "could have explored more diverse geographic regions." Academic reviewers frequently cite it in obesity and medical sociology research.

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🔍 Author Natalie Boero conducted extensive field research at obesity conferences and weight-loss surgery seminars over a six-year period while writing this book. 📚 The book examines how obesity transformed from a medical condition into a perceived social threat between 1995 and 2005, which Boero calls "the obesity epidemic." 🏥 Boero introduces the term "post-surgical metabolism" to describe how weight-loss surgery fundamentally alters patients' relationship with food and eating. 🗣️ The research includes analysis of over 750 news articles about obesity and interviews with weight-loss surgery patients to document the media's role in shaping public perception. 📊 The book challenges the common "calories in, calories out" explanation for obesity by examining complex social, economic, and political factors that contribute to weight and health issues.