The Micropolitics of Obesity: Materialism, Markets and Food Sovereignty

Abstract

This paper shifts focus from an individualised and anthropocentric perspective on obesity, and uses a new materialist analysis to explore the assemblages of materialities producing fat and slim bodies. We report data from a study of adults' accounts of food decision-making and practices, investigating circulations of matter and desires that affect the production, distribution, accumulation and dispersal of fat, and disclose a micropolitics of obesity, which affects bodies in both 'becoming-fat' and 'becoming-slim' assemblages. These assemblages comprise bodies, food, fat, physical environments, food producers and processing industries, supermarkets and other food retailers and outlets, diet regimens and weight-loss clubs, and wider social, cultural and economic formations, along with the thoughts, feelings, ideas and human desires concerning food consumption and obesity. The analysis reveals the significance of the marketisation of food, and discusses whether public health responses to obesity should incorporate a food sovereignty component.

21st-century capitalism: structural challenges for universal health care

“…Two mutually reinforcing dynamics propel the global spread of the fast-food industry: it depends upon an ample supply of low-wage flexible labor, and these poorly paid workers create additional demand for cheap, filling food [46]. The association between “increases in obesity, reductions in time spent in food preparation and a shift toward consumption of processed foodstuffs” is well-documented in both developed and developing countries ([47], p.112).…”

“…Trade liberalization has accelerated the adoption of “unhealthy ‘Western lifestyles’ and a worldwide increase in chronic diseases, with a heavier burden in poor countries” ([42], p.S15). Economic concentration among GVC controllers has meant that, “food production and processing is dominated by a small number of large, multinational agribusiness corporations that have global reach, a massive investment in increasing productivity …and an economic and scientific orientation towards feeding mass populations rather than local communities” ([47], p.122). The dominance of supermarket chains and fast food outlets has enhanced “access to obesogenic and highly profitable ‘ultra-processed’ foodstuffs” ([47], p.113).…”

“…Economic concentration among GVC controllers has meant that, “food production and processing is dominated by a small number of large, multinational agribusiness corporations that have global reach, a massive investment in increasing productivity …and an economic and scientific orientation towards feeding mass populations rather than local communities” ([47], p.122). The dominance of supermarket chains and fast food outlets has enhanced “access to obesogenic and highly profitable ‘ultra-processed’ foodstuffs” ([47], p.113). These developments have had the effect of “transforming the means of satisfying a physical need for food into a market activity populated by food consumers” ([47], p.123).…”

“…The dominance of supermarket chains and fast food outlets has enhanced “access to obesogenic and highly profitable ‘ultra-processed’ foodstuffs” ([47], p.113). These developments have had the effect of “transforming the means of satisfying a physical need for food into a market activity populated by food consumers” ([47], p.123).…”

Food as technology, obesity and climate change

“…Los datos e información primarios para realizar el análisis -principalmente en torno a los obstáculos para fomentar el cambio de hábitos alimentarios en las personas-se obtuvieron del ejercicio de consulta nutricional, parte de investigaciones realizadas sobre obesidad, y de la colaboración y participación en congresos especializados. A la luz de recientes aportes de los estudios críticos sobre el medio ambiente (Moore, 2011(Moore, , 2015(Moore, , 2017a(Moore, , 2017b(Moore, , 2018 y de los nuevos materialismos -que buscan desplazar el énfasis que se ha puesto sobre la responsabilidad individual para llevar un dieta saludable, incluso perfilando la agenda de soberanía alimentaria- (Fox et al, 2018;Mol, 2012), la consideración del medio ambiente y las condiciones de producción fueron centrales para atajar la cuestión alimentaria, llevando a indagar en las formas en que se produce el alimento como objeto y como agente en un panorama más amplio. Los casos de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) y de la Comisión EAT-Lancet (en la segunda sección del desarrollo) se tomaron como representativos de una perspectiva generalizada en numerosas instancias por su alcance y visibilidad.…”