The concept of obesity may have to deal with many perspectives of psychology but in this case I find the social cultural prospective to be the most convincing. In society today we are bombarded with the opportunities to over indulge due to the plethora of fast-food joints and the serving sizes provided in our restaurants. As stated in the voice-over, Americans are trained at a very young age to consume what is put in front of them, almost creating a sense of obligation to over-eat. The convenience of such unhealthy foods also aids the increasing rate of obese Americans, as it is often cheaper, hence making it an easy choice. Continuing with the convenience of fast-food venues, the speed in which one can receive their food also promotes the lifestyle of unhealthy living because it draws those who are always on the go. With the unbeatable price and speed of some McDonald's fries, how could anyone resist, right? Furthermore, the environment of restaurants, including the disapproving looks from the waitors as they collect your nearly full plate (when in reality you ate too much as it is), creates a vibe in which binge eating becomes the normal. As humans, we had the need to please others and having the expectation of finishing our plate looming over us, we often cave and stuff ourselves for satisfaction from those around us. This social cultural aspect of eating norms advances the growing problem of obesity much more than any other psychological perspective due to the atmosphere America provides its citizens when it comes to the consumption of food.
Yet another perspective that could weigh in on obesity that is not mentioned in the voiceover would be the developmental perspective. This deals with how the brain develops over time and what it becomes accustomed to. I feel that this plays into obesity because our surroundings continuously enforce the accessibility of unhealthy foods, and advertisements usually promote fast foods such as fried burgers and fries. The more our brain is exposed to these unhealthy options, the more our brain will crave these things on a day to day basis, eventually making us obese. The point I'm trying to convey correlates to the theory that if we repeat an action a certain amount of times, we will master it; similarly, if we repetitively are subjected to fast-food, eventually we will consume it regularly, leading to our obesity. By nature, we are creatures of habit and the consumption of unhealthy foods is not an exception.
Caroline, I entirely agree with your opening paragraph about how americans often go for the cheap and fast food option. Also, I myself have been in a situation where I was at a restaurant and didn't finish my meal because I was full and the waiter asked me if I didn't like it. I certainly felt inclined to eat more once the comment was made. Our environment really does contribute to our food intake.
ReplyDeleteCaroline,
ReplyDeleteYour blog reminds me of a documentary made after “Super-Size Me” called “Fathead”, where the host played with the same rules and ended up losing weight. Contrary to a high-carb diet recommended by the FDA, the host of “Fathead” found paleo-diets more beneficial. Through cognitive development and awareness, people can start eating smarter in the food environments they live in.
Caroline, I found your take on the social cultural perspective very relatable. When I am at a friend's house for dinner with their family, I consciously eat more so that they think that I like the food. It is very interesting to see how much etiquette there is associated with food.
ReplyDeleteI believe your take on the psychology behind obesity is very accurate. However, I believe that we should take a look at the cognitive perspective. Many Americans may become obese on purpose. I have been labeled obese by our school and I purposely eat eight times as much as I should in order to build muscle and weigh more for wrestling. I believe many people have their own cognitive reasons for gaining weight.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that everyone who believes the socio-cultural aspect is the strongest of the perspectives is giving the same support in that advertising is what makes the world go round. People are constantly exposed to signs and ads and everything that a company can push on society to market and sell their product. The food industry in fact actually has close to the highest advertising rate of any other industry save the car industry because of the size of companies and the need of food for everyday survival as a living being.
ReplyDeleteCaroline,
ReplyDeleteI found that your view on the psychology of obesity with the soicocultural perspective veryt intriguing and accurate. I have noticed that when I eat at someone's house, other than mine, that I eat as mcuh as I can because I do not want to accidentally insult the food that they have prepared so generously. If people were to ignore the American culture of eating, I think that most of us would become happier, healthier people because of our new intake of food.
Caroline, I completely agree with your social cultural stance. I also believe that unhealthy food acts as a convenient fix to a more long term problem- empty calories act as a double edged sword, while it temporarily "fixes" your hunger it furthers the degradation of one's health. I also agree that our media contributes to the obesity problem in America, from a very young age we are filled with images of happy people eating junk food, I believe this image stays with us and we begin to look at food as a means to cope with our emotions and receive temporarily gratification.
ReplyDeleteCaroline,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your perspective on the social cultural approach. At restaurants, our plates are covered in a mass amount of food. Do food industries do this on purpose to make sure the customer over eats? Or do they fill our plates out of curtsey, making sure we get enough to eat?