The Constructionist Perspective of Obesity

Abstract In this typography I bequeath explore the friendly construction of fleshiness and how it formed into a social riddle. Recent and growing media attention adjoin fleshiness in the United States, the so-called corpulency epizootic remains a highly debated scientific and social fact. This paper examines the contemporary corpulency debate through and through systematic examination of the claims and claim-makers involved in the controversy.I will not take stances, only merely show and clearly explain each locations views on the obesity epidemic. Social Construction of Global Warming . Social Construction Process Creating a social difficulty using the social constructionist approach requires an earshot who believes that there is in fact a problem before that topic is considered a social problem. There is a process to creating a social problem starting with claims, claims-making, audiences and claims competitions.Regardless of whether claims atomic number 18 verbal, visual, or behavioral, they argon the social problems work of claims- makers who want to convince audiences how to think roughly social problems and how to feel about these problems. (Lose,2009) In this paper I will discuss the process n which obesity is viewed as an epidemic so therefore is a social problem. We need to ask ourselves, who atomic number 18 the people making this claim, who are they trying to target, and are they being successful? In opposite terminology is the targeted audience being persuaded in the belief obesity is an epidemic?In this process I will compare and contrast two arguments dealing with obesity. One set of views is obesity is a problem of somebodys making bad choices and on the other hand there is a belief the feed industry has change magnitude portion sizes and markets un healthy feed options with high fat, calories etc. So that obesity is undersas welld as more(prenominal) than than Just an individual issue. The sub argument is how should treatment is administered. Do healthcare professionals target individuals and teach them a healthy lifestyle or do you target the forage industry to make changes in their products? II.Claim-maker of corpulency The healthcare industry finds the obesity epidemic of great interest due to the strong connection amongst obesity and obesity related health side effectuate. Many studies have been done to monitor the plus of obesity with in United States. Adult obesity rates increased in 16 says in the past year and did not decline in any state, according to F as in Fat How Obesity Threatens Americas Future 2011, a report from the Trust for Americas Health (TFH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (ROWS). xii states now have obesity rates above 30 percent.Four years ago, only one state was above 30 percent. (F as in, 2011) As a result of these findings augments among health care professionals were imbed focusing on the cause of obesity. One chemical group of healthcare professio nals believes the problem is an individual persons poor finale making which bakshiss to obesity. If a person is making bad hoicks in their eating habits and does not utilisation thus that person will eventually become obese. The other set of professionals would argue it is not in individual choice, only if their surroundings in which they live in.Food companies are targeting their consumers with ads and their increased potion sizes so therefore more and more people are becoming obese. Both sides of the argument believe there is connection mingled with obesity and obesity related health side effects. Each side has different beliefs on how to combat the obesity epidemic. One side of the house is focused on curing obesity while the other side focuses on prevention. A. Individual Problem Claim-makers who feel obesity is an individual problem use individualism as their targeted moralities.There is a belief system that people embrace individualism, autonomy, and responsibility for their actions. The belief in the importance of individuals license to choose the types of food they consume and to have a more active lifestyle is embraced by intimately people. It is estimated that the leading cause of death in the United States is caused by lifestyle such(prenominal) as smoking, diet, exercise and sexual practices. (Adler & Stewart, 2009) Since studies have shown lifestyle is a cause f obesity, medical professionals using the medical representative focus on the individual patient for a cure.They not only focus on lifestyles but genetics and family history. To them behavioral choices and therapy is the main target for intervention. Obesity is more than calories in verses calories out. There are other factors that go into this problem. More and more research is indicating that Americas obesity crisis cannot be blamed entirely on too much fast food and too little exercise. Genetics plays a factor into which people are becoming obese. There are natural and synthet ic chemicals known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (Deeds), or as searchers have begun to call them, obsesses.Obsesses are chemicals that disrupt the function of hormonal systems many researchers believe they lead to weight put one crossways and, in turn, numerous diseases that curse the American populace. (Perrine & Warlock, 2010) Other hormone disorders come into effect such at thyroid, adrenal glands, pituitary glands, ovaries which can also contribute to obesity. In many cases of weight loss concern requires a balance of behavioral and medical intervention. This balance is created through the guidance of a physician.Another factor in the rise of obesity is parents of young children who have poor dating habits raise children who are obese. Todays children are the first-class honours degree generation of Americans projected to have a shorter life span than their parents -? with one out of three at risk of developing Type Two diabetes, a crippling disease once seen only in a dults. (Stone, 2006) Parents instill healthy lifestyles in their children. They do this through family democracies, and beliefs and attitudes in eating and forcible activity.The significant associations between household, parent, and child variables offer a glimpse into the potential processes at work prior to a childs term as obese. For instance, measuring of general parenting and parent attitudes to-ward child eating and nutrition were meaningfully related to the kinds of foods gettable in the home and to childrens activities, both potential risk factors for childhood overweight, Gable & Lutz, (2000) Childrens roles in their own physical health and well-being cannot be discounted howalways, it is the parent who instill these values into their children.B. cosmos Health The public health model differs from the medical model not only in its emphasis on prevention but also in its consideration of a wider range of causative factors. (Adler Stewart, 2009) These factors focus is ma inly on the food industry. Their believe system is the food industry exploits people by targeting pass up income families and their environment. They do this through marketing, advertisements. Public health approaches in solving obesity does acknowledge health education, they approach the problem through legislative and regulatory means.Examples are nutrition standards for school lunch programs bans on sugar-sweetened beverages in schools vending machines requirements for developers of residential subdivisions to include bicycle paths, side flings, and position and zoning regulations for fast-food outlets. This group is using the moralities of equality of opportunity and equality under the law. Although obesity affects all demographics in the United States, some healthcare professional would argue obesity is target. Racial and ethnical minority adults, and those with less education or who make less money continue to have the highest overall obesity rates (F as in, 2011) Publishe d finding have reveal companies who produce products such as sodas, candies and alcoholic beverages target minorities verses the general audience. These advertisements are found on billboards in communities in predominantly African American and Hispanic. The advertisements are also seen in commercials and magazines that target African American and Hispanic audiences.The environment in which people live directly affects people food choices. Lewis and colleagues (2005) also identified substantially more point-of-sale advertising and promotion of unhealthful foods in restaurants in low-income African American and Latino communities than in more affluent white communities in Los Angels County. (Yankee, Cole, Brown, Williams, Hillier, Kline, Ashes & Beckman, 2009) Opportunities for physical activity, in low income neighborhoods are very low.Parks and walk able areas are scarce. Perceptions of resource quality, safety, and cultural relevance also affect physical activity levels. query a s concluded safety and quality factors in traffic fatalities, crime rates and park size effect obesity rates because counter to predictions, subpopulations generally considered vulnerable to obesity (and environmental injustices more generally) are more likely to live in willable neighborhoods and have better walking access to neighborhood parks than other groups.However, crime is highest in willable neighborhoods with large Latino and African-American populations and parks are smaller in areas populated by Latino/as. Given the higher prevalence of obesity and related diseases in lower income and minority populations the results suggest that benefits of built environments may be offset by social characteristics Ill. Audiences The target audience for awareness of the obesity as a social problem targets every U. S. Citizen. Obesity is becoming a worldwide problem however the United States in the lead globally ranking the highest rates of obesity.Mainly the focuses is on physicians, nu rses, dieticians/Darts, nutritionists, fitness professionals, health educators, public health professionals, social workers, psychologists, physical harpists, occupational therapists, teachers, administrators and school counselors. The other side tries to appeal to lawyers, food companies, and political representatives. These groups of people have the tools to promote change. IV. Power Relationships As the obesity epidemic continues to intensify, its becoming clear that theres more to obesity than lifestyle choices.Therefore, endocrinologists carefully examine the genetic and physiological causes and effects of obesity and develop treatment options that can produce concrete results. Endocrinologists are doctors that are facially handy to diagnose and treat diseases related to the body endocrine system which regulates appetite, metabolism (food burning and waste elimination), and reaping through chemicals known as hormones (Combating obesity, 2012) The same lawyers who competitiv eness the cigarette makers are now fighting the food companies.Dry, William Jacobs says From the days of reefer madness, that old anti- drug movie, the word addiction has conjured images of out-of-control behavior. But today, cutting edge erudition is shedding new light on addiction and its connection to chemical changes in the brain. If those changes can lead to compulsive behavior, mom scientists wonder if fatty foods and drugs Just might have more in familiar (Stone, 2006) While most consumers would say what you eat is your choice. Its a matter of personal responsibility what you eat, but some(prenominal) academics and lawyers are arguing youre far less free to choose whats on your plate than you realize.While each group is do up of professionals who are notable, it is matter of persuading the audience to which solution is correct. V. Conclusion Targeting obesity has support across the political spectrum. In the US, discussions of the supposed obesity epidemic usually take pl ace within the background of a larger concussion, which assumes that the change magnitude weight of the population is a sign of increasing moral inanition and that overweight and obesity are playing a significant role in driving up health care costs.This linkage is attractive for those who are ideologically committed to a focus on individual responsibility, rather than on structural factors that continue to drive health care costs ever upward, and leave one out of every seven Americans without health insurance of any kind. Anxieties about increasing weight resonate with those on the left of the political spectrum as well, ho tend to interpret the obesity epidemic as both a by-product and a symbol of rampant consumer overcompensation and greedy corporations. Camps, Sashay, Reemerges, Oliver, Greaser, 2005) In this paper I have shown the construction of obesity as a social problem has been made through a series of steps used in the social construction of a social problem. Claims we re made by those who feel obesity is problem of individual making bad lifestyle choices and those who feel is the food industry plays a huge role in why more people are obese today. Both groups validate obesity is an epidemic and therefore a social problem however these groups battle the way we are to combat this problem.