The Institute Of Medicine : A Social And Economic Forces That Promote The Consumption Of Energy Dense Foods

Julius Caesar stated “Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look, he thinks too much; such men are dangerous.” Cassius’ “lean and hungry look” unsettled Julius Caesar, who preferred the company of fat, contented men whom he believed were more trustworthy and appreciative. When we think of heavier people, we think that they are nice because they have nothing to be mean about and typical thin people will be stuck up and rude to the heavier person because they do not see that heavier person for who he really is. This is a stereotype; heavier people are not necessarily jolly, and thin people are not necessarily mean or stuck up. Stereotypical attributes have had a negative effect on society,

Body Image evolves from one look to another. According to The Peel Heritage Complex (www.region.peel.on.ca/health/commhlth/bodyimg/media.htm) we began in the 1890’s with a beautiful “plump body, pale complexion, representing wealth, an abundance of food and a refined indoor life style.” That would be about 5’8” and 132 lbs. Now, a model is no shorter than 5’7” and weighs no more than 115 lbs. Many people need to be reminded that most pictures of the models are airbrushed, possibly to the extent that it does not look like them anymore.

Obesity is defined as a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduce life expectancy and/or increased health problems. “The problem of obesity is increasing in the United States. Understanding the impact of social inequalities on health has become a public health priority in the new millennium. Social, political, and economic factors now are acknowledged to be "fundamental" causes of disease that affect behavior, beliefs, and biology.” (Goodman, 2003)  In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous problem. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. Obesity has not always been seen as a medical

Obesity has been a growing problem in the U.S. for more than a decade. Various reasons and theories are thrown around as to the cause of this severe problem by psychologists, dietitians, and professors trying to pinpoint a single cause. Due to America’s vast supply of resources, luxurious living standards, and moral of the country, there is no one cause for obesity contrary to advertisements offering a quick-fix drug. America’s obesity problem is rooted much deeper than just cheap fast food and poor choices. Medical conditions, influence of genes, unhealthy lifestyles, and mental illnesses are all contributors towards obesity in any one person. Obesity is a serious problem in America with multiple contributors and one lone solution

Often times, people who are obese also suffer with other diseases that may have contributed to their obesity in the first place. When a person is clinically depressed, a lot of times they overeat to deal with their emotions, which causes them to become obese. Another example of a disease that might have made a person obese is Hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones, which

In the book, The Red Queen, the author Matt Ridley claims that men find women’s ratio of waist width-to-hip width attractive (Ridley 292). It was observed by Physiologist Dev Singh who argued that a man will find a woman extremely attractive as long as her waist is much thinner than her hips (Ridley 292). In addition, this ratio is also hints if a woman is childbirth potential (Ridley 292). Throughout human time, this waist-to-hip ratio theory has changed on what is preferable (Bovet and Raymond 1). However, this sexual attraction is still a trait that influences men’s mate preference (Bovet and Raymond 1). I also found that a woman’s waist-to-hip ration also provides information about a woman’s age, and health (Bovet and Raymond 1). Overall,

In the Regency era, beauty was tied to what the rich could attain. Pale skin and plump figures were prized as they indicated a person did

For instance, although curvy, the woman’s outstretched arms suggest her openness and accentuate her lean, lengthy figure – definitely not overweight. Rather, her curvy, yet fit body type is regular with the ads and media related pictures that urged ladies to embrace exercise programs amid that decade. At the time, eating routine and activity were acknowledged as fundamental for the prosperity of ladies. The change from simply curvaceous and big breasted to voluptuous and in shape denoted the end of the 1930s and a transition in society to a strong emphasis on weight management and appearance that has continued into the 21st

Based on background information, a central hypothesis was developed that obesity is an ongoing, gendered and embodied cultural process that has harmful consequences for the obese individual (e.g. Harjunen, 2002&2003). The various social implications of obesity will be explored via interviews (with obese people or former obese people) conducted and the surveys taken of people in the Boston area.

In this time there was an ideal look for females. Women that were tall and slender with a very small waist and narrow hips were considered “perfect”. These models and fine figures were described as having a “soft feminine figure”. Not all

Given the accuracy of the representation of the anatomy depicted in the Venus of Willendorf, that is the way the breasts hang and the way the "fat"

In her article, “Too ‘Close to the Bone’: The Historical Context for Women’s Obsession with Slenderness,” Roberta Seid, lecturer at the University of Southern California-Los Angeles, claims that the obsession with thinness has become a new religion. She gives her research and theories in sections as she moves through her stages of thought on the issue and how it developed. Her first stage is questioning why people

Different styles go in and out of fashion; the same goes for body types. For a long time there was a clear divide between which body types were seen as fashionable, but recently the divide has been vanishing. Lean bodies used to be seen as being more fashionable than curvy bodies, but that is no longer the case. Glamour laborers are rewriting history, just look to Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé who have become the face for a new age of fashion. This new age, dubbed “post fashion”, claims that individuals can wear their own skin just as much as they can wear fancy clothes.

Fattening also symbolizes a woman of a desirable social status. All though all Azawagh women are to fatten, it is mainly those from a well off or wealth family that can fatten their daughters, wives or sister. A woman’s social status is elevated, being notable by her fatness, but so is the social status of the man or husband. The practice of fattening is advantageous in a way not just to the social status of women, but furthermore and mostly to the social status of men. Clearly, on choosing a heavy wife, an Azawagh man can stress his social status

This was modeled after the Virgin Mary whose round belly contained the savior (Yalom, 1997, p. 40). It wasn't until the fourteenth century and the Renaissance that this began to change. Explosive creativity and art occurred despite great famine and disease. As people became more frolicsome, clothing became more revealing. Such clothing including lowering the neckline to show cleavage (Latteire, 1998, p. 31). In the seventeenth century, the breasts once again became the center of female attractiveness over the belly. The breast stood as a symbol of power and wealth at a time when mercantilism was on the rise in Europe (Latteire, 1998, p. 32). The corset, which was previously used to flatten the breasts, was used to push in the stomach and push up the breasts (Winston, Website). Louis XIV of France's personal taste was a factor in this, as he demanded lower necklines for all the court women. He considered it a sign of respect to