Fat as a neoliberal epidemic: Analyzing fat bodies through the lens of political epidemiology

Abstract

Since the establishment of the “obesity epidemic” narrative in the 1990s, several social ills have been attributed to fatness: among them urban sprawl, automatization, consumerism, working mothers, a crisis of self-reliance, the decay of religious values as well as the deterioration of the traditional family in general and the traditional family dinner in particular, to name only a few. However, describing fatness as a symptom of unwanted social developments is a pastime not exclusively reserved for conservative commentators. Progressive proponents who consider themselves part of a political epidemiology are likewise quick to interpret fat bodies as a symbol of social decay, a consequence of commodification, globalization, growing inequalities, and more generally the rise of neoliberal policies. In this paper I will offer a critique of this particular brand of the “obesity epidemic” narrative by analyzing three influential texts that characterize fat as a neoliberal epidemic. In conclusion, I will argue for a political economic analysis of health that not only respects weight diversity but recognizes weight stigma as a crucial part of growing social and health inequalities in contemporary Western societies.