This handbook provides a demographic examination of global obesity trends by bringing together the range of research conducted in this field by demographers, sociologists, epidemiologists, and other quantitatively and demographically oriented social scientists. It utilizes a multidisciplinary demographic approach to provide insights into the global prevalence and mechanisms of obesity, as well as the population level impacts of rising obesity. Major sections include: global obesity trends and prevalence; obesity and demographic structures, processes, and characteristics; emerging areas of study; and obesity in LGBAT populations. This handbook provides readers with a broad understanding of population-based research on obesity and serves as a resource for scholars, students, policymakers, and researchers.

Part 1. Global Obesity Patterns and Implications.- 1. Global Obesity Patterns, an Introduction (Ginny Garcia-Alexander and Dudley L. Poston, Jr.).- 2. Obesity: A Long-Term Global Challenge (James Bentham and Mariachiara Di Cesare).- 3. Economic Costs of Obesity in Europe (Jutta Viinikainen, Petri Böckerman, and Jaakko Pehkonen).- 4. Impact of Obesity on Life Expectancy Among Different European Countries, 1975-2012 (Nikoletta Vidra, Sergi Trias-Llimós, and Fanny Janssen).- 5. Obesity with Chinese Characteristics? Prevalence and Determinants of Overweight and Obesity in China (Jiaxin Gu, Yue Yuan, Kenneth C. Land, and Qiang Fu).- Part 2.  Obesity and Demographic Processes, Structures, and Characteristics).- 6. Obesity and Mortality (Neil K. Mehta).- 7. Obesity and Immigration (Ginny Garcia-Alexander and Amethyst Morgan Marroquin).- 8. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in U.S. Obesity Prevalence: What Have We Learned from Demographic and Population Health Science? (Michelle L. Frisco,Kelsey Shaulis, Jennifer Van Hook, and Robert A. Hummer).- 9. Race/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Obesity (Patrick M. Krueger, Shawna F. Bayerman, and Eric N. Reither).- 10. Sibling Effects on the Development of Obesity (Toni Falbo and Shengjie Lin).- Part 3. Emerging Areas of Study.- 11. Fit for Christ or Gluttons for God? An Overview of Research on Religious Involvement and Body Mass (Terrence D. Hill, Samantha M. Galindo, and Amy M. Burdette).- 12. Psychosocial Stressors and Obesity (Adolfo G. Cuevas, Natalie Eckert, and Keri Carvalho).- 13. The Neighborhood Environment and Overweight/Obesity (Angelica Lopez and Kathryn Freeman Anderson).- 14. Treatment and Outcome Disparities for Patients with Obesity in Emergency Medical Services (Jamie Kennel, Hyeyoung Woo, and Ginny Garcia-Alexander).- Part 4. Obesity in Sexual Minority Populations. ).- 15. Obesity Prevalence and Trends in the Asexual and Sexual Populations  (Dudley L. Poston, Jr., Ceylan Engin, and Yagmur Cagatay).- 16. Are Gay Men More Fit? Obesity and Overweight Differences among Gay and Straight Men (Dudley L. Poston, Jr. and Sharon Baker-Hughes).- 17. Prevalence and Trends in Obesity and Overweight among U.S. Women: Do Lesbians Differ from Straight Women? (Carol Walther and Dudley L. Poston, Jr.).- 18. Obesity and Bisexuality: Is Being 'Bi" and Issue? (Mary Ann Davis).- 19. Prevalence and Trends in Obesity Across Gender Identities (Mary Ann Davis, D'Lane Compton, and Nicole Farris).- 20. Conclusions, Review, and Needed Research.  (Ginny Garcia-Alexander).

Ginny Garcia-Alexander, PhD is Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her research specialty areas include social demography, health and reproductive health disparities, and the study of religion's influence on health status and behaviors. Dr. Garcia's current research explores socio-demographic disparities in health outcomes and obesity, as well discrimination on the basis of obesity status and other patient factors; denominational variations in infant mortality rates; and studies of the reproductive decision-making process and use of sterilization. She is the co-author of Social Foundations of Behavior for the Health Sciences (2017), which examines the importance of social factors in determining health outcomes. She also teaches courses on population, health inequities, and medical sociology.

Dudley L. Poston, Jr. is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. He taught at Texas A&M for 27 years, prior to his retirement in the Spring of 2019. He previously served on the faculties of Cornell University (1988-1992) and the University of Texas at Austin (1970-1988). He has co-authored/edited 21 books and over 350 journal articles, book chapters, and research reports. The 2nd edition of his Handbook of Population was published in 2019. During his tenure at Texas A&M University, he taught graduate and undergraduate courses on Statistics, Demography, and Demographic Methods.