Weight of Modernity: An Intergenerational Study of the Rise of Obesity

Description

Over a half of adults in the US, Canada, Australia and numerous European countries are now overweight or obese, a proportion that has risen sharply in the past two decades. Dominant biomedical explanations focus on the energy equation – an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure - and remedies focus on motivating individuals to restore the balance by eating better and being more active, or – in extreme cases – surgical intervention. This book offers a perspective that sees increasing obesity as a social phenomenon as well as a public health problem. It contains detailed accounts of three generations of Australians’ experiences of changing environments and the emergence of social trends such as increasing availability of convenience foods, the individualisation and commercialisation of leisure, car reliance, and busyness. Participants' narratives are interwoven with sociological and historical analyses of changes to show how contemporary Australians are experiencing and adapting to dramatic socio-cultural and environmental changes that are reshaping their lives and, in many cases, their bodies. The book demonstrates that obesity is an unintended consequence of economic development accompanied by profound socio-cultural changes, and by identifying the key developments the authors propose leverage points. While the research was conducted in Australia, the fundamental drivers of rapid weight gain are equally present in other modern, secular societies. Front Matter....Pages i-ix The Big Australian: Obesity in the Modern World....Pages 1-12 An Intergenerational Study Design....Pages 13-22 From Habit to Choice: Transformations in Family Dining Over Three Generations....Pages 23-39 How Convenience Is Shaping Australian Diets: The Disappearing Dessert....Pages 41-58 From Sociable Leisure to Exhaustion: A Tale of Two Revolutions....Pages 59-83 Fitness Marginalises Fun and Friendship....Pages 85-103 The Rise of Automobility....Pages 105-127 The Weight of Time: From Full to Fragmented in 50 Years....Pages 129-149 Social Forces Shaping Life Chances and Life Choices....Pages 151-171 Restoring Coherence to a Stressed Social System....Pages 173-189 Back Matter....Pages 191-195