Fat: The Anthropology of an Obsession

Posted on 18 November 2018 by Don Kulick

An eclectic and highly original examination of one of the most dynamic concepts and constructs in the world.With than one billion overweight adults in the world today, obesity has become an epidemic But fat is not as straightforward or even as uni versally damned as one might think Enlisting thirteen anthropologists and a fat activist, editors and anthropologists Don Kulick and Anne Meneley have produced an unconventional and unprecedented examination of fat in various cultural and social contexts In this anthology, these writers argue that fat is neither a mere physical state nor an inert concept Instead, it is a construct built by culture and judged in courts of public opinion, courts whose laws vary from society to society.From the anthropology of fat talk among teenage girls in Sweden to the veneration of Spam in Hawaii from fear of the fat sucking pishtaco vampire in the Andes to the underground allure of fat porn stars like Supersize Betsy this anthology provides fresh perspectives on a subject complex than love handles, and less easily understood than a number on a scale Fat proves that fat can be beautiful, evil, pornographic, delicious, shameful, ugly, or magical It all depends on who and where you are. Free Read Fat: The Anthropology of an Obsession [ by ] Don Kulick [ Kindle ePUB or eBook ] – kino-fada.fr This accessible collection of essays is a must read for anyone interested in the social construction of fat.The book contains fourteen essays written by various anthropologists who were asked to discuss an aspect of fat related to their studies in various cultures many of which are Western, btw and these folks take that prompt and run with it, covering some ...This is a collection of essays about fat Some wereinteresting than others, but I think the book did a good job of presenting the subject in a well rounded and fair manner From the delicacies of Italian olive oil to fat porn and back to the female quest for holiness through the loss of ...This book promises to make you think about fat in lots of new ways and that is exactly what it does Although this is a book on anthropology it is very easy to read and also a very enjoyable read It is very intelligently written and is sure to make you aware of issues surrounding fat that you weren t aware of previously.This book, like Fat Is a Feminist Issue which I also read finally recently, leaves you with lots of food for thought.The standout essays for me were the first and last ones This book promises to make you think about fat in lots of new ways and that is exactly what it does Although this is a book on anthropology it is very easy to read and also a very enjoyable read It is very intelligently written and is sure to make you aware of issues surrounding fat that you weren t aware of previously.This book, like Fat Is a Feminist Issue which I also read finally recently, leaves you with lots of food for thought.The standout essays for me were the first and last ones featured in the book.Rebecca Popenoe essay on villages in Niger where women try to be as fat as possible was as fascinating as it was disturbing I think being force fed millet porridge to become as fat as possible in your youth is just as bad if not worse than a society being obsessed with thinness.The final essay on the activist group Pret...Fascinating reads from different anthropologists on the history, science, and cultural importance of fat in its various forms As with any anthology, some essays areinteresting and in depth than others This is a great book for picking up and putting down because each chapter is self contained.Read through this quickly and intend to use it for my Fall multiculturalism courseReally diverse and horizontal discussion of what fat means in all senses of the word where it s reviled, where it s envied, when we want it and when we don t.Wow I read this as I am reviewing new curriculum for an IB Social Anthropology class I teach high schoolers But I found many of the essays fascinatingeven beyond classroom use Unfortunately the essays were uneven or I would have given it a fivethan half the essays were mind blowing WOW but then too many paled in comparison.I particularly enjoyed Heavenly which looks at relations between religion and eating using non eaters as an illustration These young pubescent Catholic Wow I read this as I am reviewing new curriculum for an IB Social Anthropology class I teach high schoolers But I found many of the essays fascinatingeven beyond classroom use Unfortunately the essays were uneven or I woul...This would make a great reader for a medical anthropology or anthropology of nutrition class The essays make fat studies easy to read and digestible ha , and I can see students getting a lot out of discussing the essays In particular, I found the last few essays to be of interest, from participant observation of why people at Starbucks request low fat milk but agree to add whipped cream to their order The discussion of the social phenomenon of Spam in Hawaiian culture made for interesting This would make a great reader for a medical anthropology or anthropology of nutrition class The essays make fat studies easy to read and digestible ha , and I can see students getting a lot out of discussing the essays In particular, I found the last few essays to be of interest, from participant observation of why people at Starbucks request low fat milk but agree to add whipped cream to their order The discussion of the social phenomenon of Spam in Hawaiian culture made for interesting reading and resonated with my experiences as a past and hopefully future tourist I ve al...I might not have otherwise picked up this book were it not assigned reading for my graduate course on the anthropology of food, but I found it to be a fascinating read After I read the eight assigned essays out of 14 , I continued to read them all and was glad I did I think the compilation of essays is a very interesting way to present and explore the concept of fat, representing a complex and diverse array of views.Some of the ways fat is explored is as an aesthetic, as a substance to be I might not have otherwise picked up this book were it not assigned reading for my graduate course on the anthropology of food, but I found it to be a fascinating read After I read the eight assigned essays out of 14 , I continued to read them all and was glad I did I think the compilation of essays is a very interesting way to present and explore the concept of fat, representing a complex and diverse array of views.Some of the ...I expected lengthy takes on what it means to be fat when I picked up this book It s 100% not that and thank gods for it The explanations of what it means to be fat and the healthy relationships we should have with it as championed by fat activists will be to you, after reading this book, only one side of the issue The complexitiy with which this collection of essays approaches the subject of fat parachutes the reader into a brand new perspective of what fat truly is What it is not is I expected lengthy takes on what it means to be fat when I picked up this book It s 100% not that and thank gods for it The explanations of what it means to be fat and the healthy relationships we should have with it as championed by fat activists will be to you, after reading this boo...

English
18 November 2018

Don Kulick