Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
"The Obesity Epidemic "adds a much-needed voice of skepticism to the increasingly alarmist debate about weight and health. Gard and Wright show that "obesity" is above all a deeply problematic cultural and political concept, making clear that the social meaning of fat is determined largely by moral and ideological agendas -- agendas that are all the more powerful because they cloak themselves in the mantle of objective science and public health. Indeed, this book demonstrates how and why concepts such as "science" and "health" are themselves far more problematic than those who invoke them like to admit. "THE OBESITY EPIDEMIC" is a superb contribution to the sociology of knowledge, and an essential text for anyone who wants to understand the current moral panic over fat.
Synopsis
Increasing obesity levels are currently big news but do we think carefully enough about what this trend actually means? Everybody ? including doctors, parents, teachers, sports clubs, businesses and governments ? has a role to play in the ?war on obesity?. But is talk of an obesity ?crisis? justified? Is it the product of measured scientific reasoning or age-old ?habits of mind Why is it happening now? And are there potential risks associated with talking about obesity as an ?epidemic
The Obesity Epidemic proposes that obesity science and the popular media present a complex mix of ambiguous knowledge, familiar (yet unstated) moral agendas and ideological assumptions.