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Mike Mitka

JAMA. 2003;289:33-34.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Chicago—Tomas Philipson, PhD, hears the usual reasons for, and possible solutions to, the obesity epidemic facing the United States. He does not buy them.

Philipson, an economist and professor at the Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago, believes US weight gains during the past century are caused by technology. Technical improvements in food production have lowered the cost to consume calories while technology in the workplace—from elevators to e-mail— makes many workers more sedentary, thus increasing the cost to expend calories (for example, by joining fitness clubs).

Is economics to blame for his embonpoint? (Photo credit: Getty Images, Inc.)

"Economic forces have been neglected," said Philipson, who has researched and written on the subject. "And these forces are hard to change."

Philipson spoke at a conference on "Social Determinants of Health and Disease" held at the University of Chicago . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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