Weighty Issues: Fatness and Thinness as Social ProblemsJeffery Sobal Many people consider their weight to be a personal problem; when, then, does body weight become a social problem? Until recently, the major public concern was whether enough food was consistently available. As food systems began to provide ample and stable amounts of food, questions about food availability were replaced with concerns about ideal weights and appearance. These interests were aggregated into public concerns about defining people as too fat and too thin.Social constructionist perspectives can contribute to the understanding of weight problems because they focus attention on how these problems are created, maintained, and promoted within various social environments. While there is much objectivist research concerning weight problems, few studies address the socially constructed aspects of fatness and thinness.This book however draws from and contributes to social constructionist perspectives. The chapters in this volume offer several perspectives that can be used to understand the way society deals with fatness and thinness. The contributors consider historical foundations, medical models, gendered dimensions, institutional components, and collective perspectives. These different perspectives illustrate the multifaceted nature of obesity and eating disorders, providing examples of how a variety of social groups construct weight as a social problem. |
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Weighty Issues: Fatness and Thinness as Social Problems Jeffery Sobal,Donna Maurer No preview available - 1999 |
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acceptance achieve activities American anorexia anorexics appearance approach argued Association attention attitudes attractive beauty become behavior body weight bodybuilders Bruch century chapter child claims clinical concern construction consumer cultural desire developed dietary Dietetic dietitians discourse disease disorders Dreyer early eating edited Education examine example experience feel female femininity feminist fitness Fletcher focus gender groups History ideal weight important individual industry Institute interests issues Journal less lose male means measurements Medicine method moral movement norms noted Nutrition obesity organizations overweight parents patients percent physical political popular positive practice Press professionals programs promotion reported result role Science sexual size acceptance Sobal Social Problems Society standards theory thin thin ideal tion United University University Press values vegetarian diets weight loss woman women York