Drawing from a number of bases, author Robert Peralta assembles the underpinnings to the insinuation against that of the individual determination of fate, with special emphasis on the obesity epidemic. Assistant professor of Sociology at the University of Akron and with a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of New Mexico, Peralta wields his insight in order to better allocate the true origins of the near exponential growth in body size throughout the years ("Member Profile…” np). In his opus “Thinking Sociologically about Sources of Obesity in the United States,” Peralta effectively perpetuates the mantra of societal responsibility and of demographic divergences as a filter for sources of obesity.
In a manner of speaking, the only fashion by which the rise of obesity may be stifled is not by saving society from the insatiable individual, but by saving the individual from an insatiable society. Such is the assertion held by the Peralta. Beginning upon the basic affirmation that a more “holistic” understanding of obesity is required to further its end, Peralta insists upon a greater sociological approach (Peralta 330). According to Peralta, mere medical postulation fails to elaborate upon the most striking of differentiations within the overweight and obese populations; rather, it is the existence of certain social patterns that leads to such disparity (Peralta 335). Those unable to ascertain vital resources to aid in healthy living, whether they be education or knowledge, generally weigh more than those who are so able (Peralta 332). According to the author, more than mere socioeconomic status (SES) determines one’s weight, but dynamics such as gender and race exist along its side; however, in spite of said distinctions, Per...
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...ightloss. Healthy Journey and TalkStory Media. Web. 21 Sept. 2011.
"Member Profile - National Hispanic Science Network - Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami." Home - National Hispanic Science Network - Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. National Hispanic Science Network. Web. 21 Sept. 2011.
"Obesity and Overweight for Professionals: Data and Statistics: U.S. Obesity Trends DNPAO CDC." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 21 Sept. 2011.
Peralta, Robert. “Thinking Sociologically about the Sources of Obesity in the United States.” Writing & Reading for ACP Composition. Eds. Thomas E. Leahey and Christine R. Farris. New York: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2009.176-184. Print.
"State and County QuickFacts." State and County QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Web. 21 Sept. 2011.
Robert L. Peralta, author of "Thinking Sociologically about Sources of Obesity in the United States", includes his perspective on obesity in his article. He reveals to the readers that obesity is due to social aspects affecting weight gain; it is not solely due to genetics, as other articles state. Throughout the article, Peralta includes numerous examples and studies on different aspects of society which have an impact on rising obesity rates. As the article progresses onward, Peralta demonstrates how obesity is in fact correlated with "money, knowledge, power, prestige, and interpersonal resources" (Peralta 204). Peralta 's article effectively conveys that society is to blame for obesity by indirectly stating it and also how social aspects
“At least 25% of all Americans under age nineteen are overweight or obese” (161). In Greg Critser’s “Too Much of a Good Thing”, Critser, a published author of a book about the epidemic of obesity, explains how America has become obese. Critser published his piece in the Los Angeles Times in 2001 after the United Nations came to New York to discuss the rising issue of obesity. Critser moves on to listing facts and past studies to convince the audience of concerned parents that there is a problem. In Greg Critser’s article, the language of his argument embodies the threat of obesity by challenging emotions, providing logic, and giving examples from credible sources. The increase of obesity caused the United Nations to meet in New York to discuss the circumstance.
This documentary shows great examples on how obesity is a rapidly growing epidemic as important as terrorism according to Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona. He stated, “Obesity is a terror within. It destroys our society from within….” If we don’t take responsibility and change our horrible eating patter we are going to be doomed. One of the main reasons for obesity other than the lack of a healthy diet is the modernization of our world. In the years when our parents...
This chapter gives various social and biological reasons for the growing world-wide health concern of obesity. Name them and views - why is the reality of weight for most people so far from the cultural or societal ideal?
Brody, Jane E. “Attacking the Obesity Epidemic by First Figuring Out Its Cause.” New York Times. 12 September 2011. Print.
Much has been written to explain the medical aspect of obesity but little attention has been paid to understanding the sociological aspect of the epidemic. This research attempts to understand the sociological aspect of obesity by examining the socio-cultural, gender, and psycho-social effects and includes the different perceptions of the epidemic as well as what is deemed acceptable in the society we live in.
Interest in the social aspects of obesity is nothing new. Jeffrey Sobal has written extensively about the social and psychological consequences of obesity , including the stigmatisation and discrimination of obese and even overweight individuals (Sobal 2004).
In order to take a sociological viewpoint into account when one examines obesity, first it is important to understand how obesity is recognized in current society. According to today’s news articles and magazines and advertisements and other mass media about health and healthy life, one can easily realize that a great number of people have an eagerness to be healthy. Also, one can assume through these mass media about health that everyone wants to be attractive, and they are even prone to transform their own behaviors to gain attractiveness. This is because most people live a life where social interaction is frequently required and must engage themselves into social interaction every day of their life. Therefore, based on these ideas and proofs throughout this mass media, obesity is regarded as one of the characteristics that is disgraceful and undesirable in society.
USA Today. Obesity in America Summary Statement: 2006. Available at http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/educate/challenge/2006winners/winner2-page1.htm. Accessed February 10, 2014.
Engler, Yves. “Obesity: much of the Responsibility Lies with Corporations.” They Say I Say. Ed. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst. New York. W.W. Norton, 2009. 172-181. Print.
"Obesity." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Balko’s use of informative statistics makes the reader think about government’s role with obesity, and how much they should to do with it being solved. For example, President Bush put $200 million into his budget for anti-obesity measures, and some Senators, including Joe Lieberman, made the call for a “fat-tax” on high calorie foods. Although it appears these politicians and government officials are all trying to help society and this growing problem in America, many would agree they are just hurting the cause. I remember when I
Crossley, N. 2004. Fat is a Sociological Issue: Obesity Rates in Late Modern, Body-Conscious' Societies. Social Theory & Health, 2 (3), pp. 222--253.
Wellman, N. S., & Friedberg, B. (2002). Causes and consequences of adult obesity: health, social and economic impacts in the United States. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition, 11(s8), S705-S709.
Over the course of the last few decades, the U.S. has seen a drastic rise in the spread of obesity. Through the rise of large-scale fast food corporations, the blame has shifted toward the mass consumerism of these global industries. It is, however, due to poor lifestyle choices that the U.S. population has seen a significant increase in the percentage of people afflicted with obesity. In 1990 the percentage of obese people in the United States was approximated at around 15%. In 2010, however, it is said that “36 states had obesity rates of 25 percent or higher”(Millar). These rates have stayed consistent since 2003. The obesity problem in America is