Treating Fatness

This series of three seminars aims to explore the ways in which the fat body is treated, both in terms of medicalised attempts to “cure” and in terms of how people behave towards those who are visibly fat.

Seminar 1: Measuring Children

Friday 9^th November, 2007 (2-5pm)

Dr Bethan Evans (Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Rachel Colls (Durham University)

Seminar 2: Resisting Treatment

Friday 15^th February, 2008 (2-5pm)

Lucy Aphramor (Coventry University)

Charlotte Cooper (size activist and journalist)

Seminar 3: Treating Extremes and Extreme Treatments

Friday 9^th May, 2008 (2-5pm)

Shirlene Badger (University of Cambridge)

Dr Karen Throsby (University of Warwick)

The seminars are free and open to everyone.

“Treating Fatness”

The title of this seminar series refers to two different, but related, meanings of the term “treating”: firstly, in relation to the management of disease (as in treating an illness); and secondly, with reference to how we behave towards someone (as in, treating them well / badly). In both senses of the term, this seminar series explores the ways in which obesity, and those who are obese, are treated in the UK.

Rising obesity rates globally are widely perceived as signalling a public health crisis (both current and pending) of “epidemic” proportions. Within this context, obesity is positioned not only as the cause of disease (for example, heart disease, diabetes etc.) (Kopelman 2000; James, Leach et al. 2001), but also, as a disease which in itself requires treatment (Rossner 2002). This has led to a proliferation of schemes and programmes for the prevention and management of obesity, including legislation banning the advertising of junk food to children, the routine monitoring of children’s body size in schools, a wide range of medical and commercial diet and exercise programmes, easier access to weight loss pharmaceuticals, and, as a technology of last resort, obesity surgery.

However, researchers working from within the fields of feminism, size activism or critical obesity studies (e.g. Cooper 1998; Wann 1998; Gard and Wright 2005) have questioned the validity of the assumptions which underpin these anti-obesity interventions, arguing that the “war on obesity” is morally and ideologically, rather than scientifically, driven. Instead, they point to the ways in which those who are visibly obese are (mis)treated in everyday life (including in the medical context) as a result of the prevailing assumptions about the fat body as the embodiment of poor self-discipline, a lack of self-control and a socially irresponsible lack of care of the self. Furthermore, they have argued that those measures designed to “treat” obesity are ineffectual and health- and self-esteem damaging, subjecting fat bodies to new and proliferating forms of discipline and surveillance.

This seminar series will explore the “treatment” of obesity (and those who are obese), by bringing together researchers who are conducting research across a wide range of anti-obesity interventions, including: the monitoring of children; dietetics; obesity genetics; and obesity surgery. Drawing on their research, the presenters will critically explore the ways in which obesity is treated in different contexts, and will ask what this can tell us about the wider social and cultural context of a declared “war on obesity”.

Hosted by the Centre for the Study of Women and Gender, the seminars will take the form of three afternoon seminars, one in each term of the academic year 2007-8. The seminars will be advertised widely, with the aim of encouraging attendants from both staff and students across departments both within and outside of the University of Warwick. It is planned to produce a journal special issue on the theme of “Treating Fatness”, based on the papers presented in the series.

References

Cooper, C. (1998). Fat and Proud: the Politics of Size. London, The Women's Press.

Gard, M. and J. Wright (2005). The Obesity Epidemic: Science, Morality and Ideology. London, Routledge.

James, P. T., R. Leach, et al. (2001). "The Worldwide Obesity Epidemic." Obesity Research 9(Supplement 4): 228S-233S.

Kopelman, P. G. (2000). "Obesity as a medical problem." Nature 404: 635-643.

Rossner, S. (2002). "Obesity: the disease of the twenty-first century." International Journal of Obesity 26(Supplement 4): S2-4.

Wann, M. (1998). Fat!So? Because You Don't Have to Apologise for your Size. Berkeley, CA, Ten Speed Press.

All seminars will be held in the Ramphal Building (on Library Road) and the room will be signposted from the building entrace.

A map of the campus can be found here.