The Obesity Myth: Why America’s Obsession with Weight is Hazardous to Your Health

I have been busy reading my research topic and have been very interested in what it has to say about the current epidemic. Some of the key messages I have come across are:
• Weight is a poor predictor of health
• “Fat” people have better health then “thin” people
• “Fat” active people have half the mortality rate of “thin” sedentary people
• A person’s level of physical activity is a far better predictor of health than body mass.

The whole issue of obesity seems to be highly political. We are forced to conform to the most powerful institutions (medical profession) ideals of what a body should look like. The media is supporting this and telling us we need to lose more weight, when in fact this is highly hazardous to our health. Instead of trying to lose weight we should be focusing on exercising more and having a healthy lifestyle (no binging, starving or dieting).

Witches, Floods and Wonder Drugs: Historical Perspectives on Risk Management

Clark states, “Risk is a people problem” (287). After reading Clarks article and comparing it with Tufte’s work I completely agree with this statement. It seems to me that as humans, we have a difficult time removing ourselves from our fears. There is a lack of independence so to speak. Our fears start to dictate us. Be it taking out “insurance” through joining the Inquisition as to not be named a witch, or having extensive pre-release testing on drugs which is inefficient but guards us against litigation. Even when we have the facts in front of us, we still cannot make the right decision. (Think NASA launching Challenger when advised not to.) Perhaps, not only is it our fears that rule us, but the current discourses and institutions in power. Only when we can change our current ways of thinking and reduce the pull of conforming to these notorious intuitions will risk management become rational.