People today work harder and take better care of their health than any previous generation. So how could two-thirds of us fail to measure up when it comes to eating right and exercising? HBO and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences have joined together to bring you the nation's foremost experts and definitive research on weight and weight loss. The Weight of the Nation explains how we got to this unhealthy place and how we can get to a healthy weight by overcoming the forces that drive us to eat too much and move too little.

Three years in the making, The Weight of the Nation answers crucial questions like:

--Is there such a thing as the right diet?

--Am I doomed to yo-yo for the rest of my life?

--How does stress affect my weight?

--Is my slow metabolism making me fat?

--How does carrying too much weight affect my health?

--Why do I eat junk food even though I know it's unhealthy?

--Is exercise enough to help most people maintain an ideal weight?

--How can I keep weight off forever?

Based on the rich research behind HBO's documentary series, The Weight of the Nation is the only book that tells it like it is: losing weight is hard, keeping it off is even harder, and there's no quick fix. Weight loss takes a lot of work and a lifetime commitment, but thousands have done it and this book will show you how.