The Social Construction of Obesity as a Deviance - Essay Example

The Social Construction of Obesity as a Deviance The goal of this paper is to discuss the social construction of deviance as it applies to a specific group of individuals. This group of individuals is categorized as obese. The following discussion will be conducted as though by a social constructionist. The main idea is to examine obesity as an epidemic and as a social flaw or deviation from the "norm". This paper will explore what it is about obesity and individuals who can potentially label one as obese, which serves to act as a social construction or deviant behavior. It can be said that one's behavior is "deviant" when it strays from cultural norms. In today's society, body weight and size are of great importance in terms of fitting in or being considered attractive. Obesity has become something that society as a whole, frowns upon. The market is flooded with diet pills, health food, diet books, medical procedures, gym memberships and exercise equipment. This has been the case for several decades but is increasingly more and more of a sociological issue. Being "thin" is synonymous with the institution of being attractive or socially accepted. The first step to relating obesity to deviant behavior is to look at "who" is being labeled as deviant. Naturally, it is safe to assume for the purposes of this paper that any individual, who is of a body weight greater than what is "normal" for their height and bone structure, can be considered deviant. The definition of obesity declares that in order to be obese, one must weight 30 lbs or more above the acceptable weight for their height and bone structure, to be considered obese, "Approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, 60 million are obese (Body Mass Index or BMI > 30) and 9 million are extremely obese (Body Mass Index or BMI > 40)" (http://www.obesityinamerica.org/bythenumbers.html). These acceptable weights are listed in body mass indexes and can be found in almost any physician's office. When we observe that individuals who can be labeled as "obese" are in turn labeled as taking part in deviant behavior, we need to understand what social norm it is that they are deviating from. The social norm of "thin" or "skinny" or "healthy" is widely accepted. This is the social norm that has been deviated from by individuals who are said to be obese. Next, let us examine who is constructing obese individuals as being deviant. In other words, let us discuss who is setting these social norms that are being deviated from and who is deciding that individuals who are obese are in fact deviating or socially deviant. "In 1991, only four of 45 states participating in the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System had obesity prevalence rates of 15 to 19 percent and none had obesity prevalence rates greater than 20 percent" (http://www.obesityinamerica.org/geographic.html). According to this statement, the CDC is one specific organization that is essentially labeling obesity as "high risk behavior" and therefore it can be said that the CDC is one aspect to the social construction of obesity as deviant. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) is a health organization responsible for identifying and helping prevent the outbreak of rapidly occurring diseases. This organization seeks to keep any wide spread disease from becoming an epidemic or pandemic. Clearly, obesity is being labeled as not only a deviation from social norm but also a disease of epidemic proportion. The CDC is not the only health organization concerned with obesity; virtually any major health organizations contain some facet to address the problem of obesity. In addition, virtually any television show or movie will display individuals as quite thin, and this is to be interpreted as normal. This is established as a uni-cultural standard among virtually any television or Hollywood production. It is important to note however, that the individuals responsible for the web site pertinent to this discussion are a part of the Endocrine Society and the Hormone foundation. These groups are health related organizations but are also responsible to some extent for establishing social norms, as is the case with any health oraganization. The agents of social control in this case, are the health organizations that develop and employ studies to research issues of great health concern. When we as a society, are confronted with the possibility of health risks, we embrace the statutes set for us by the health oriented powers that be. The method by which social control is instituted in this particular situation is a kind of cause and effect. The specific web site that this paper is analyzing, advises its readers that obesity is a serious health condition. The following quote is just one of many that emphasize obesity as a major health risk thereby raising concern or cautioning individuals from being obese"Overweight and obese people have an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart attack, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina and abnormal heart rhythm27" (http://www.obesityinamerica.org/relateddiseases.html). Simply telling individuals that they should lose weight to look good would in itself be deviant and socially incorrect, so stating the facts about the medical risks saves society from stating the obvious in more offensive terms. In the case of obesity, the deviant behavior is not criminalized. It is however medicalized as we see in the website that we are studying. We have just taken a look at some of the health risks that the web site is cautioning us about if we are among the many labeled as "obese". The consequences of the medicalization of obesity are that we make it unacceptable due to being "bad for us" or "bad for our health". This is different than making it a fashion mistake as in wearing white after Labor Day or not wearing name brands. The medicalization of anything creates a sense of fear around that behavior or state of being so that it is frowned upon for a more justifiable reason. By medicalizing anything, the attitude surrounding that subject changes. The result of medicalization is often treatments which become available. This of course boosts the pharmaceutical industry as well as other facets of health industry. It can be said that when everyday life situations, such as being obese can be, are medicalized; the health industry is capitalizing on that particular situation. The idea of obesity as a deviant behavior (in the non-criminal sense) is perpetuated in a number of ways. As said before, the television and movie industry consistently promotes thin individuals as "normal" or acceptable. The medical industry denounces obesity as a "serious medical problem" and airplane companies charge obese individuals for 2 seats instead of one, in some cases. It is not difficult to see a social overview on obesity. Obese individuals are often thought to be lazy, lacking self control and non-hygienic. These are just a few of the stereo types that follow obesity through the mainstream of society. We can observe the perpetuation of these ideals by taking a trip to a local mall. Very few clothing stores offer women's sizes beyond a size 16. In many cases, women larger than a size 16 must shop at "specialty" stores that cater to larger women. One can find clothes for heavier individuals on line or in catalogs but at a higher cost than the same article in a "normal" size. Almost any restaurant that one can visit will offer a "diet" menu or "low calorie" food items. It is safely assumed by most retail clothing stores and restaurants that many individuals are watching their weight or dieting; and that any one who is shopping for nice clothing must not be overweight. Certainly, it can be said that the social construction of obesity as a deviant behavior reflects not only the anxiety or morals of a large portion of society but also of individuals who are in fact obese. First of all, when the picture of individuals that are "normal" is painted, the "normal" individual is to be thin or not overweight. It is frightening to face the threat of being a social outcast or to be associated with social outcasts. Therefore, social prejudices form against those who are obese. Individuals who are obese are thought to lack in certain admirable 'morals" such as self control, self discipline, cleanliness and hard working. It is assumed that because someone is obese, they must also be lazy, unclean and lacking in self discipline. Many individuals find themselves on constant diet band wagons and regimens in order to avoid being obese and therefore a social outcast. The phobia of obesity is so prominent in America that it is sometimes called the last socially acceptable prejudice. In most educated circles, it would be very socially unacceptable to make a racist remark or a religious slur. In these same circles, it would not be unacceptable to make a "fat joke" or reference to someone who is obese in a derogatory way. This is true because it is very socially unacceptable to be overweight or obese. Being obese does indeed carry stigma and is in a class all its own. There are no common denominators as far as sex, race or religion; among the obese. There are correlations between low levels of education and obesity but that is really the only other way to classify the obese, according to the web site being observed".The recent increases in the prevalence of overweight and obesity are reflected across all ages, racial and ethnic groups, and education levels in the U.S" (www.obesityinamerica.org). It is notable that the identification of a large group of individuals as obese does in fact serve the interest of many other large groups. The first to profit from the labeled obese population is the health industry. With obesity on the rise, the medical industry has ample opportunity to treat the masses with gastric bypass surgeries, weight loss medication, heart and thyroid medication and so on. There is an entire population of individuals who fall into the obese category who certainly will require medical attention due to their obesity or in order to become not obese. Social exclusion has taken place since the beginning of any society. There is always a group or groups of individuals who are victim to social exclusion. In past decades, it has been due to race, religion, beliefs, sex, sexual orientation and smoking preference. The trend toward obesity as a socially excluded trait is growing vaster. It can also be deduced that the power of the medical industry as well as other industries like the fashion industry, are quite paramount. With industries that make up such a large portion of the overall economy, social norms can be established and permanent. In conclusion, there is a certain benefit to having or taking a social constructionist's view over the topic of obesity. It can become clearer to one studying this topic to take this approach in order to see the element of social exclusion and as well as the harm in labeling. There will never be an end to labeling groups or social exclusion; this is part of human nature. It is helpful though to thoroughly study the topic of social construction to gain perspective on the issues surrounding obesity. Indeed, obesity is a health risk. It is also unsightly. However, to what extent is it acceptable to allow special interest groups decide what is acceptable and what is not It should be mentioned that the existence of eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are partly due to society and the pressure to be "thin". This is an example of how social construction forms an ideal of what is normal and what is not. It is not socially acceptable to be "fat", it is however socially acceptable and even expected for one to be "thin" or fit. Using a social constructionist's perspective on the phenomenon of obesity and the cultural pressure to not be obese, allows one to not only better understand not only the social exclusion surrounding obesity but the capitalization of the medical and entertainment industries. There is no indication that the obese population will decrease drastically simply because individuals who are currently obese are either unable due to genetics or health reasons to lose weight, or unchanged by social pressures to lose weight. Categorizing individuals as obese is simply another category in which to place people. If the category of obesity did not exist, other types of labeling would take its place. Works Cited: www.obesityinamerica.org Read More