Weighty Issues by Jeffery 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.-
Punishment and Social Control
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Making Trouble
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The Family at Risk
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Court-Ordered Insanity
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Sexual Conduct
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Interpreting Weight
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Hate Crimes
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Courting Disaster
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Creating Fear
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Becoming Miracle Workers
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The Fight Against Big Tobacco
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Abortion, Motherhood and Mental Health
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Thinking About Social Problems
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Framing the Victim
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Social Movement Organizations
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Corrupt Exchanges
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Qualitative Methods and Health Policy Research
Sobal, Jeffery: -
Jeffery Sobal is professor in the division of nutritional sciences at Cornell University. He is on the board of directors of the Association for the Study of Food and Society and has Cornell University Graduate Field Membership in the areas of nutrition, development sociology, and epidemiology.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780202305806 |
| ISBN 10 | 0202305805 |
| Title | Weighty Issues |
| Author | Jeffery Sobal |
| Series | Social Problems And Social Issues Ser |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis Inc |
| Year published | 1999-10-31 |
| Number of pages | 273 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |