Lay Off the Fatties.

Thanks to Jacob Sullum for his thoughtful review of my book Fat Politics ("Lay Off the Fatties," November). Although I disagreed with a few characterizations and points of emphasis (e.g., uterine cancer deaths rates are extremely low), I appreciate his effort to capture the spirit of the book.

I was, however, bemused to hear that I have an "anti-market instinct"--must come from a gene I inherited from my mother. You can question the utility of the market and still not support government intrusion; this debate is more complicated than such a false dichotomy.

This touches on a very interesting question that I tried to get at in the book: Does an overabundance of choice inhibit freedom, and if so what can you do about it? Psychologist Barry Schwartz's excellent book The Paradox of Choice is pretty convincing on the first point (as is the fact that most Americans are fatter than they want to be), but the answer to the second is far less clear. While I would agree with Sullum that government is generally a terrible arbiter of these matters (which are only compounded by the pathologies of bureaucracy), I don't think those interested in maximizing individual liberty should refrain from questioning the inherent logic of consumer capitalism to overwhelm us with as many options as possible.

Sullum and I would probably agree that the ideal solution comes from voluntary communities constructed around moral precepts that help guide the behavior of their members. The success of these, however, seems to depend on their ability to isolate themselves from the market.

Thus, using weight as an example, the Amish are much more successful than members of Weight Watchers at keeping thin. The question is how such communities can be sustained in an era of increasing individualization and the liberalization of so many aspects of human life (such as eating).

J. Eric Oliver

Professor of Political Science

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL