ABSTRACT
Many sections of this book may be read as something of a celebration of the conquest of food shortage, of the growth in the security of supplies and of the varieties of food available. It is true that there are issues about access to food by the very poor but, for the majority, food resources are readily available. As a consequence, it may seem rather surprising to be introducing debates about the control of eating by dieting amongst some of the most prosperous groups in society and drawing attention to attempts to explain why some eating disorders, notably those which involve reducing food intake, are so severe that they threaten the life of the individuals concerned. However, these are some of the issues to be addressed if we want to understand current patterns of dieting and the powerful fear of fat which is expressed in popular literature about food, health and body shape in modern western societies.
