Paper Example on Public Discrimination Against Obese/Overweight: A Critical Analysis

Introduction

The episode by Hobbes, M, and Marshall, S., states that society is exceptionally judgmental about other members without necessarily understanding their situation. The notion is specifically focused on how the public openly discriminates against obese and overweight people through various tactics such as body shaming and other insulting approaches. However, according to the presenters, the notion of using terms such as overweight or fat are discriminative terms derived from societies that need to control people.

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Information Presented

The information presented is based on the numerous misconceptions that the body is most efficient at a specific weight. However, according to Hobbes, the body underwent evolutionary changes to retain weight. In other words, once the body reaches a particular weight, it will naturally attempt as numerous times as possible to regain the previous weight for various reasons. Among those offered are in case of starvations or other reasons that would limit the ingestion of food. Additionally, the human body is highly individualized; therefore, every individual process food to energy at different rates.

How Information Gathered

The majority of the information was attained from past research and interviews conducted on approximately fifty people of different professions. The objective was to understand better obesity and how it can be controlled. Moreover, the number of misconceptions were also identified to limit the misinformation that is commonly spread. Among the identified misconceptions is the calories in calories out model, nutritionists, and other practitioners commonly use.

The Perspective of the Hosts or Storytellers

The perspective of the presenter on obesity is that there is a difference between health and weight. The notion is demonstrated by the claim that between the 1940s and 1980, there was a decrease in calorific consumption. The reasoning offered was that people moved less, thereby ate less. No external factor initiated the process of eating less; rather, it was due to internal body chemistry. However, in the mid-1980s, various studies were used to change the food supply, which in practicality cascaded to the current obesity epidemic.

Is the Episode Commentary on Society?

The episode is a commentary on society because the public continues to adhere to the dietary suggestions offered by the government, nutritionists, practitioners, and scientists, yet it is not scientifically proven accurate. The current problem facing the country as well as other regions of the world can be summarized to diet quality and not quantity. There is a great misconception that eating a lot is responsible for obesity; however, the reality of the problem per the information gathered is that it is the quality of food consumed contributes to obesity. For example, refined sugar consumption instigates the body to consume more, even if the body is full.

Historical and Cultural Significance

The narrative is important because the country's population is becoming more obese. Hobbes identifies to Marshall that obesity is the cause of the numerous heart-related diseases, among others nationwide. Moreover, the country has been aware of the proper dietary needs for decades with historical studies from the 1960s proving the notion. The nation was aware of the various factors that contribute to appropriate health, such as gut bacteria. However, the idea was ignored in the 1980s during the dietary reform, thereby leading to the current state of high rates of obesity-related diseases and deaths.