Fat Land（ISBN=9780618380602）

　　In this astonishing expose, journalist Greg Critser looks beyond the sensational headlines to reveal why nearly 60 percent of Americans are now overweight. Critser's sharp-eyed reportage and sharp-tongued analysis make for a disarmingly funny and truly alarming book. Critser investigates the many factors of American life -- from supersize to Super Mario, from high-fructose corn syrup to the high cost of physical education in schools -- that have converged and conspired to make us some of the fattest people on the planet. He also explains why pediatricians are treating conditions rarely before noticed in children, why Type 2 diabetes is on the rise, and how agribusiness has unwittingly altered the American diet.

　　Greg Critser's work appears regularly in USA Today, where he is a member of the board of contributors, and he has written several cover stories on nutrition, health, and medical issues. His writing on obesity earned him a James Beard nonimation for best feature writing in 1999, and he is frequently interviewed by PBS and other media on the subject of food politics. He is author of National Geographic California (May 2000).