McKenzie, an independent scholar who holds a PhD from George Washington University, chronicles the forces that came together to convince the American populace that fitness is an appropriate and even essential use of leisure time, from Eisenhower's Council on Youth Fitness, through the culture of weight reduction for women in the 1960s, the popularity of jogging in the 1970s, and the health clubs and personal trainers of the 1980s. The book traces the medical profession's reluctant acceptance of exercise, and shows how fitness became linked with notions of moral superiority and power. The book is illustrated with b&w historical photos. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)