Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  • Understand the critical part played by food, diets and dieting in health, illnesses and deaths associated with obesity
  • Understand theories, interventions and the evidence on obesity and overweight
  • Understand the ‘Energy Surfeit Theory’ and its inability to explain obesity
  • Show an awareness of the evidence for and against different theories of obesity
  • Describe interventions for obesity and overweight and the evidence on their effectiveness
  • Show an awareness of the main approaches to obesity prevention