and the rest of the world gaining on them, health officials are scratching their heads. It’s time for some new questions.

In Globesity: 10 Things You Didn’t Know Were Making You Fat, registered dietitian and health writer Clare Fleishman connects the dots between obesity and some surprising new suspects: air conditioning, viruses, pollution and seven other environmental hazards which normally slide as the big two–sloth and super-sizing– shoulder the blame. The author plumbs the science in the hunt for other reasons why obesity is spreading faster than McDonald’s franchises.

• Why has air conditioner usage mirrored the rapid rise in obesity?
• Can you catch obesity like the common cold, a theory that the Framingham Heart Group is studying?
• Which pollutants in air, water and plastics subvert our normal energy balance?

This fast-paced book, laced with equal parts hard facts and gentle insight, looks at a range of environmental newcomers and asks whether they are every bit as fattening as a kid in a candy store. Anyone who ever struggled with their weight will find a fresh approach to a persistent problem as well as some novel solutions to lighten the load.

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