“Abby Ellin’s “Teenage Waistland” addresses a different but no less serious health problem, teenage obesity. When she was a teenager, Ellin’s parents shipped her off to fat camp, but her weight issues (a mere 30 or so pounds of heft) pale when compared with those of her subjects, all morbidly obese. Ellin interviews a host of teenagers and their parents in an attempt to discover what might help these kids lose weight. She takes a look at fat camps, boarding schools, weight-loss programs, parent workshops, support groups, and surgical procedures. The interviews with her teenage subjects are poignant, and, to her credit, Ellin avoids easy answers.”

– Boston Globe