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The Cardinal Edge

Abstract

Socioeconomic developments of the past half-century have created mass social concern over an “obesity epidemic.” This concern is given a sense of legitimacy by studies that warn of a totally obese America in only a few decades, and children being more likely than ever to be diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. The “environmentalist account” of obesity asserts that factors like genetics, food availability, and social or political climate are the major determinants of an “obesogenic environment” – that is, an environment of obese adults likely to raise obese children. Some feminist thinkers argue that the environmentalist account is necessary to fighting racism and sexism, as poor POC women are most likely to be the victims from this perspective. Dr. Anna Kirkland’s essay, The Environmental Account of Obesity: A Case for Feminist Skepticism,” rejects the environmental account as another way to intrude on the lives of these women and moralize their choices. This essay will examine the economic impact from implementing the environmentalist account as a neo-imperialist ideology.

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