Overview
Childhood obesity has become a central concern in many countries and a range of policies have been implemented or proposed to address it. This co-authored book is the first to focus on the ethical and policy questions raised by childhood obesity and its prevention. Throughout the book, authors Kristin Voigt, Stuart G. Nicholls, and Garrath Williams emphasize that childhood obesity is a multi-faceted phenomenon, and just one of many issues that parents, schools and societies face. They argue that it is important to acknowledge the resulting complexities and not to think in terms single-issue policies. After first reviewing some of the factual uncertainties about childhood obesity, the authors explore central ethical questions. What priority should be given to preventing obesity? To what extent are parents responsible? How should we think about questions of stigma and inequality? In the second part of the book, the authors consider key policy issues, including the concept of the 'obesogenic environment,' debates about taxation and marketing, and the role that schools can play in obesity prevention. The authors argue that political debate is needed to decide the importance given to childhood obesity and how to divide responsibilities for action. These debates have no simple answers. Nonetheless, the authors argue that there are reasons for hope. There are a wide range of opportunities for action. Many of these options also promise wider social benefits.
Full Product Details
Author: Kristin Voigt ,
Stuart G. Nicholls ,
Garrath Williams
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:
Width: 16.30cm
, Height: 2.40cm
, Length: 24.10cm
Weight: 0.486kg
ISBN: 9780199964482
ISBN 10: 0199964483
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 08 May 2014
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Manufactured on demand
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Reviews
A welcome and much needed work which promises to significantly shape future research in the area. The authors draw on an impressive range of sources and support normative claims with solid empirical evidence throughout. The book is clearly written and well-argued and is going to be a landmark in the emerging normative literature on obesity and on public health ethics in general. Global Discourse Well researched [] clearly written, and cogently argued, this is an excellent book. Summing Up: Highly recommended Choice
A welcome and much needed work which promises to significantly shape future research in the area. The authors draw on an impressive range of sources and support normative claims with solid empirical evidence throughout. The book is clearly written and well-argued and is going to be a landmark in the emerging normative literature on obesity and on public health ethics in general. Global Discourse
This book provides a re-appraisal of commonly-held beliefs about child obesity and misconceptions about what needs to be done. The authors expose the futility of holding parents responsible for children's unhealthy behaviour, they challenge the assumption that education and family support will solve the problem, and they condemn the prejudice and stigma which surround the narrative of blame. The book shows convincingly how the causes of obesity lie in the fabric of the modern market economy: in the food supply which shapes our diets, the social and physical environment which encourages sedentary behaviour, and in the media which promote ever greater consumption. Obesity is not the problem: it is the symptom of a more complex social and economic malaise encouraging poor health. - Dr. Tim Lobstein, Director of Policy and Programmes, The International Association for the Study of Obesity A well-researched, highly critical, but carefully balanced examination of everyday assumptions about childhood obesity and its prevention from an intensely moral perspective. Although the authors demonstrate that no intervention is without ethical complications or effective entirely on its own, they call for immediate actions to reduce the stigma of childhood obesity, support parents, and create food environments healthier for children, adults, and the environment. - Marion Nestle, Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
This book provides a re-appraisal of commonly-held beliefs about child obesity and misconceptions about what needs to be done. The authors expose the futility of holding parents responsible for children's unhealthy behaviour, they challenge the assumption that education and family support will solve the problem, and they condemn the prejudice and stigma which surround the narrative of blame. The book shows convincingly how the causes of obesity lie in the fabric of the modern market economy: in the food supply which shapes our diets, the social and physical environment which encourages sedentary behaviour, and in the media which promote ever greater consumption. Obesity is not the problem: it is the symptom of a more complex social and economic malaise encouraging poor health. --Dr. Tim Lobstein, Director of Policy and Programmes, The International Association for the Study ofObesity A well-researched, highly critical, but carefully balanced examination of everyday assumptions about childhood obesity and its prevention from an intensely moral perspective. Although the authors demonstrate that no intervention is without ethical complications or effective entirely on its own, they call for immediate actions to reduce the stigma of childhood obesity, support parents, and create food environments healthier for children, adults, and the environment. --Marion Nestle, Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human DevelopmentFeatured on Food Politics.
Author Information
Kristin Voigt is an Assistant Professor at McGill University, jointly appointed in the Department of Philosophy and the Institute for Health and Social Policy. Her research focuses on egalitarian theories of distributive justice and the links between philosophy and social policy. Stuart Nicholls is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Epidemiology & Community Medicine, University of Ottawa. His research broadly considers socio-ethical issues in public health, with a particular interest in population screening. Garrath Williams is a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Lancaster University, UK. He studied philosophy, politics and health care ethics at Manchester University, and continues to research in all three areas. He has a special interest in the philosophy of responsibility, and participates in collaborative European research on children and health.
