Sociological Theory Of Obesity Research Paper

There are many speculations as to how the prevalence of obesity has risen in the United States over the years. Most people would agree that a combination of poor eating habits and a lack of consistent exercise directly contributes towards a dangerous trend in overall weight gain. Dietary intake is closely related to increased portion sizes, growing fast food restaurant chains, and technology’s role in making everything all the more reachable. Franchises like McDonalds provide a mainstream source of instant gratification; People nowadays treat fast food as a reward for excellence.These factors alone are not necessarily harmful, but acting together with human nature puppeteering, it takes more than sheer willpower to overcome the temptations

Mead’s micro-sociological theory goes into more detail concerning the day-to-day face-to-face interactions that people have. These smaller scale events are the focus of this theoretical school; Supporters believe that society is not a direct outcome of any social truth, but rather a conglomeration of choices and actions made by people from all walks of life. For example, someone who commutes an hour by car, works nine hour shifts, and has a biweekly two-hour night class may not have to time or energy to prepare meals everyday. They may feel encumbered by the multiple billboards advertising fast food promotions to “take advantage” of these discounts and eat out. Exercise comes far and few in between as many adult job as sedentary and require little to no physical labor. Symbolic interactionism, or social behavior that is characterized by the use of gestures or body language to communicate an implied understanding, happens all the time typically to shame those who are overweight. These microaggressions are critical because they play at one’s emotions and can further lead them down the dark spiral of obesity. This is an example of how social interactions shape the way humans think and connects with the idea of “I” vs “Me”. The “Me”, or everything learned about behavior, expectations, and opinions from others society, is constantly developing with each and every new social interaction. The “I”, or someone’s actions and thoughts in response to the information gained by “Me”, reflects how one thinks they should act in certain social scenarios. For example, an overweight individual may want to gorge on more than one serving of food at a holiday dinner, but refrains from doing so because it is frowned upon and may cause negative judgement from others. In this regard, every social experience plays a role in shaping one’s sense of