ABSTRACT
Our argument to this point has been that the ‘obesity epidemic’ is much more than a ‘natural phenomenon’ that can adequately be described and explained by science. Instead, we argue that the ‘obesity epidemic’ is, as much as anything else, a social idea (or an ideology), constructed at the intersection of scientific knowledge and a complex of culturally-based beliefs, values and ideals. As such, it seems useful to explore what it is sociologists have to say about the ‘obesity epidemic’, to help understand why the ‘obesity epidemic’ has come to such prominence as a health issue in the face of considerable scientific uncertainty, and with what consequences for individuals and for society. Like the feminist work in the previous chapter, sociologists (and those working in history, cultural studies and so on) provide alternative ways of talking and thinking about overweight and obesity from those offered by the sciences and the popular media. Perhaps most importantly, they provide an understanding of the ‘obesity epidemic’ as a social and cultural phenomenon, rather than as one explained in terms of population trends or individual behaviours.
