Weighty Problems: Embodied Inequality at a Children's Weight Loss Camp

Childhood obesity is a social problem that needs to be solved, but children themselves are missing from debates over what caused the rise and how to fix it. Laura Backstrom's book Weighty Problems illustrates how fat stigma is internalized during the early socialization experiences of children, and how embodied inequality is constructed and negotiated through resocialization, stigma management, social comparisons, and attribution.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 30 April 2019
Publisher: Rutgers University Press

Many parents, teachers, and doctors believe that childhood obesity is a social problem that needs to be solved. However, missing from debates over what caused the rise in childhood obesity and how to fix it are the children themselves. By investigating how contemporary cultural discourses of childhood obesity are experienced by children, Laura Backstrom illustrates how deeply fat stigma is internalized during the early socialization experiences of children.

Weighty Problems delves into the processes of embodied inequality, shedding light on how children come to recognize inequalities related to their body size, explain the causes of these differences, respond to micro-level injustices in their lives, and how their participation in a weight loss program impacts their developing self-image. The book reveals that embodied inequality is constructed and negotiated through a number of interactional processes, including resocialization, stigma management, social comparisons, and attribution.

Through her research, Backstrom highlights the importance of including children's perspectives in discussions about childhood obesity and its solutions. She argues that by understanding how children experience and interpret cultural discourses of obesity, we can better develop policies and interventions that promote healthy eating habits, physical activity, and body positivity for all children.

Weighty Problems is a valuable contribution to the field of childhood obesity research and policy. It provides a nuanced understanding of the experiences of children living with obesity and offers insights into the complex processes that contribute to their health and well-being. By advocating for the inclusion of children's voices in discussions about obesity, Backstrom helps to ensure that policies and interventions are designed to support the unique needs and experiences of this vulnerable population.

Weight: 246g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 10 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780813599113