Languishing for decades in the backwaters of research, medical practice, and public awareness, obesity has burst forth into modern awareness. Yet, what seems like frenzied attention is inadequate. Prevalence is still rising and there are few signs of meaningful action. Much is at stake, not only for the people with the problem, but for the economy, the future of children, and groups such as the food industry that are in the crosshairs of public opinion. Obesity is an important and diffi cult

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... blem. Disputes rage about its death toll, but these obscure an important reality-obesity causes a number of serious diseases, affects quality of life in profound ways, and exacts a powerful fi nancial burden on society through health care costs, lost productivity, time off work, and costs not yet quantifi ed (e.g., poor learning in schools due to unhealthy diets and inactivity). Obesity is out of control to the extent that even keeping prevalence stable would be a major victory. The issue must be addressed from multiple perspectives, with creative people from many disciplines working toward solutions. The essays in this issue represent innovation in thinking. Long overdue is fresh thought from the social sciences beyond psychology. For this reason alone, there is reason to celebrate these essays. Many years and much research were needed to bring obesity to the status of a legitimate medical problem and it was even later that it entered the domain of public health. The nation has been mired in a dialogue that guarantees the status quo, namely that obesity is a matter of per-