Discussion Piece: A Critical Take on the Obesity Debate

This paper critically engages with dominant obesity discourses, making particular reference to the perceived epidemic of ’excess’ weight among men in England. It expands upon arguments written for the Men’s Health Forum during the run up to their recent conference on ‘tackling male weight problems’. The science legitimating the war against fat is questioned as well as arguments offered by those playing a key role in constructing this as a massive public health problem. A sociologically imaginative approach to the obesity debate is encouraged in line with a critical realist appreciation of health and its determinants. Social Theory & Health (2005) 3, 302–314. doi:10.1057/palgrave.sth.8700058