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In Biomedicine, Thin Is Still In: Obesity Surveillance among Racialized, (Im)migrant, and Female Bodies

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  • Iffath Unissa Syed

    (School of Health Policy and Management, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada)

Abstract

Currently there is a plethora of research literature which constructs obesity as an alarming new global pandemic associated with a multitude of acute and chronic diseases rooted in lifestyle factors. Although most of these claims related to obesity are well accepted in the research community, some challenges remain. For instance, lifestyle factors only partially explain the risks of developing obesity. In this paper, I have advocated for greater caution in interpreting some of the medical claims of obesity due to the epistemological and methodological assumptions that inform certain groups of obesity researchers. While most of the literature has reported lifestyle factors and behavior modification as the major mechanisms to achieving health and wellbeing, a few scholars have raised issues about structural factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Iffath Unissa Syed, 2019. "In Biomedicine, Thin Is Still In: Obesity Surveillance among Racialized, (Im)migrant, and Female Bodies," Societies, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-14, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:9:y:2019:i:3:p:59-:d:258078
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Offer, Avner & Pechey, Rachel & Ulijaszek, Stanley, 2010. "Obesity under affluence varies by welfare regimes: The effect of fast food, insecurity, and inequality," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 297-308, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Iffath Unissa Syed, 2021. "Remittance Flows from Healthcare Workers in Toronto, Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-18, August.
    2. San Juanita García & Taylor Trummel & Monica Cornejo & Katherine Maldonado & Ana Ojeda & Humberto Flores & Bruce G. Link, 2021. "Immigrant Health Inequities: Exposing Diversions and White Supremacy," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-22, September.
    3. Hossein Zare & Nicholas S. Meyerson & Chineze Adania Nwankwo & Roland J. Thorpe, 2022. "How Income and Income Inequality Drive Depressive Symptoms in U.S. Adults, Does Sex Matter: 2005–2016," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-15, May.
    4. Garcia Ashdown-Franks & Janelle Joseph, 2021. "‘Mind Your Business and Leave My Rolls Alone’: A Case Study of Fat Black Women Runners’ Decolonial Resistance," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-17, August.
    5. Hossein Zare & Danielle D. Gaskin & Roland J. Thorpe, 2021. "Income Inequality and Obesity among US Adults 1999–2016: Does Sex Matter?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-13, July.
    6. Syed, Iffath Unissa, 2020. "Racism, racialization, and health equity in Canadian residential long term care: A case study in Toronto," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    7. Sarah M. Munoz, 2021. "Environmental Mobility in a Polarized World: Questioning the Pertinence of the “Climate Refugee” Label for Pacific Islanders," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 1271-1284, December.
    8. Iffath Unissa Syed, 2020. "Clearing the Smoke Screen: Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, and Stress Management Techniques among Canadian Long-Term Care Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-15, August.

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