Sociology Dissertation - Essay Example

This research study proposes to examine the rising incidence of obesity within a social and environmental context by applying sociological theories. Where obesity is concerned, the media has been attributed a significant proportion of the blame, because it propagates a sedentary lifestyle which contributes to obesity. In addition, unhealthy foods are advertised on TV, as a result of which children are influenced into unhealthy eating patterns from childhood, which in turn lead to obesity. Since obese children are likely to grow into obese adults, this research study will focus on the impact of the mass media in contributing to obesity in children and influencing their body image.

The Dissertation will be divided into four chapters. The first chapter will provide a general introduction to the study, the methods used and limitations. The literature review till comprise the second chapter. The third chapter will describe the methodology used and the fourth and concluding chapter will present the results that are obtained. Broadly, the subjects to be covered in this study include the causal factors in obesity and suggestions that have been made by researchers to deal with the problem.

Sociological theories will be assessed and the most relevant ones will be applied to the problem of obesity. Media theories will also be examined in the literature review, to the extent that they may be relevant in the context of obesity. Research carried out by other researchers into the impact of the media and its influence on eating habits, especially on children will also form a part of the literature review. Examining the impact of social and environmental factors on obesity is a broad ranging issue, which may not lend itself to adequate coverage within the scope of this limited study.

Therefore, it is proposed to narrow down the scope of the study to obese children and