Rethinking the Thinness Obsession This article is about the way that thinness is viewed as being healthy and as being the best way to be. According to the article fifty-two percent of women and thirty-seven of all men seen themselves as being overweight. When looking at the national standards they are not considered as being overweight. The reason that most people view themselves as being overweight is due to the media. The media portrays that being thin is the best way to be. All you see on television is women who are really thin and tall, so society tend to think that is the way to be.
Moreover, being thin is considered as being healthy. Americans spend over thirty-five billion dollars each year on trying to lose weight. Which is why being thin has become an obsession for the American society. That also brings a problem for the people in this society who are considered as being fat or overweight. Overweight people have been judged just because of the way they look. For example, thin women seem to get paid then overweight females, and they also seem to get promoted more often then the other individuals.
Also stated is that even health professionals gives off negative attitudes towards fat people. Two of the biggest problems mentioned with the obsession of being thin are obesity and the number of developed eating disorders. They are no treatments right now for obesity the only thing that is even worth mentioning is dieting. But studies have shown that dieting also does not work. Many dieting programs have been the main cause of various health problems and death. But health professionals still recommend that people who are overweight do go on a weight loss program.
One study showed that after a number of men were put on a low calorie diet ninety percent of them regained all of their weight, eighty percent developed diabetes, and twenty-five percent of them died. Health care providers have stated that some of the main reasons for obesity includes, gender, amount of location of fat, and family history of obesity. They also found that people who are either extremely thin or extremely overweight live shorter lives. The role of Family and Consumer Sciences Professional is to change the way that views the weight problem. They can help acknowledge and accept individuals in different sizes, and help people to realize that food is really not the problem. Also encourage people to stop using their body weight as success, and help to remove barriers to physical activities.
Since I work with children, obesity seems to be a major factor with children affecting their self-esteem. The way that this relates to my major is that I need to know how obesity affects individuals and what is the best way of dealing with the problem. Ryan, Cass. Rethinking the Thinness Obsession. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences V.
87 (3), 16-18.