Symbolic Interactionist View On Obesity

Obesity rates in the United States have been rising, along with obesity associated health problems, since the 1980’s. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just over one-third of U.S. adults, about 97 million, are obese. In addition, as the numbers of obese adults have doubled since 1990, the number of obese children has unfortunately tripled. There has been a clear decline in proper nutrition education in schools in the last 30 years. Classes like home economics are not as prevalent as they once were. Portion sizes of meals in restaurants have grown as well as sizes of soda cups. With these increases people are getting over their daily caloric intake with meals as well as triple their daily sugar intake with sodas. Other

Interactionists would view obesity in the same ways that others in society do. There is usually a stigma associated with being overweight, even though the obesity rates are high, and therefore those who are overweight are not treated the same as someone with a normal body mass index. People who are overweight generally have a difficult time getting a job or shopping for clothing. Interactionists would blame socialization for the obesity epidemic because food is typically at the center of most social events. Obesity has little to no objective reality but it is only considered a condition because it has been defined by society. The symbolic interactionist approach has also provided important information about the relationship between patients and healthcare professionals. Physicians manage the case to display their authority and medical knowledge. Patients usually have to wait for the physician to show up, they have to address the doctor very formally, but the patient is always called by their first name. Then, physicians use complex medical terms to describe the illness instead of trying to use more layman’s terms so the patient can understand. Obesity is known as a health risk but there has been a large movement in recent years to accept obesity

If you can teach children at a young age proper nutrition and the importance of exercise it will cause a chain reaction for generations to come. As we know, people in lower economic classes cannot afford the most expensive food but you don’t have to be rich to eat healthy. This has been brought up as one of the more simple solutions to the problems with obesity, especially now that we are seeing it in children. The only problem with this solution is that there are so many politics involved in trying to pass laws such as this. Since this solution is very multifaceted the first step should be to reintroduce health and nutrition classes nationwide. The second would be to implement a plan similar to that of the First Lady Michelle Obama, teaching children the importance of healthy eating habits and exercise. Conversely there are people who feel that no intervention should be performed in these situations. These people feel that it is not the fault of the government or your upbringing but that it is each individual’s responsibility to be in charge of their own physical health. In addition, those who lead unhealthy lifestyles might not procreate or live a long life contributing their bad habits to others in society. This is a very primitive view simply looking at survival of the fittest. I disagree with these views because the odds are poorly stacked against people who are