Obesity, or Excessive Corpulence: The Various Causes and the Rational Means of Cure

"Obesity, or Excessive Corpulence: The Various Causes and the Rational Means of Cure" by J.-F. (Jean-François) Dancel translated and edited by M. Barrett, M.A., M.D., is a mid-19th-century medical text that investigates why people become obese and suggests ways to treat it. The writing stresses how too much fat harms health and offers sensible ways to control and eliminate obesity through changes in diet and how people live. At the beginning, the writer shares their view on what doctors should do about obesity, pointing out the damage it does to the body and mind; it explains that obesity limits a person's movements and leads to health problems like heart issues and trouble breathing. The author advocates for treatments rooted in chemistry and how the body works, disagreeing with old ideas and promising a full plan to reduce fat while keeping people healthy without strict diets; it is a careful look at current medical methods, working to create a new, science-based way to understand and deal with obesity.