The Great Fat Fraud

Title:  The Great Fat Fraud

Author:  Mike Schatzki

Publication Information:  Lamington Press. 2011. 197 pages.

Book Source:  I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Quote:  "There may not be enough time in the day to fit in all the priorities, but there is always enough time for those few things in your life that are requirements."

The Great Fat Fraud attempts to address perceptions created by the weight loss industry and presents its own host of research sources to back up its statements. The central point of the book is that it is not weight that matters but rather your level of fitness. You can be fat and fit, or thin and unfit. The book coins the term "fitlessness." It addresses some aspects of the weight loss industry - weight programs, system cleanses, magic foods - in a cursory manner. The book's central prescription for good health - walk 10,000 steps a day for good health.

The "walk 10,000 steps a day" prescription has been around for a long time and been presented by many different sources as a component of a healthy life style. So, that part of the books holds validity. The rest seems questionable. The author is a professional speaker with an educational background in public affairs.  This book is the result of his research as he personally became interested in this field.

The book unfortunately reads like an infomercial with coined terms and interjections as to what a reader might say. The book does point to research studies throughout. In fact, it  includes about 30 pages of end note references to studies, articles, and websites. Unfortunately, unless you are prepared to do that further research and look into those resources, the book does not build credibility.