{"title":"The vices and virtues of medical models of obesity","authors":"Jonathan Sholl, Andreas De Block","doi":"10.1111/obr.13828","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"SummaryDespite numerous public health organizations supporting the pathologization of obesity and considering recent obesity rates a health crisis, many researchers in the humanities, social sciences, and even in the health sciences remain unconvinced. In this paper, we address a set of arguments coming from these academic fields that criticize medical models of obesity for their supposedly flawed diagnostic categories that shift focus onto individuals and support moralizing judgements. Clarifying some key claims in these models and explicating the view of obesity in terms of energy dysregulation, we aim to tease apart misunderstandings and argue that not only do these models not say what they are often accused of saying, but their apparent vices may actually be virtues in helping to combat stigma. Building on the social psychology of stigma and disease labeling, we then suggest that current medical models are largely supportive of many moral and political aims promoted by critics of these models.","PeriodicalId":216,"journal":{"name":"Obesity Reviews","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Obesity Reviews","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13828","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
SummaryDespite numerous public health organizations supporting the pathologization of obesity and considering recent obesity rates a health crisis, many researchers in the humanities, social sciences, and even in the health sciences remain unconvinced. In this paper, we address a set of arguments coming from these academic fields that criticize medical models of obesity for their supposedly flawed diagnostic categories that shift focus onto individuals and support moralizing judgements. Clarifying some key claims in these models and explicating the view of obesity in terms of energy dysregulation, we aim to tease apart misunderstandings and argue that not only do these models not say what they are often accused of saying, but their apparent vices may actually be virtues in helping to combat stigma. Building on the social psychology of stigma and disease labeling, we then suggest that current medical models are largely supportive of many moral and political aims promoted by critics of these models.
期刊介绍:
Obesity Reviews is a monthly journal publishing reviews on all disciplines related to obesity and its comorbidities. This includes basic and behavioral sciences, clinical treatment and outcomes, epidemiology, prevention and public health. The journal should, therefore, appeal to all professionals with an interest in obesity and its comorbidities.
Review types may include systematic narrative reviews, quantitative meta-analyses and narrative reviews but all must offer new insights, critical or novel perspectives that will enhance the state of knowledge in the field.
The editorial policy is to publish high quality peer-reviewed manuscripts that provide needed new insight into all aspects of obesity and its related comorbidities while minimizing the period between submission and publication.