Food Avoidance, Aversion, and Disgust

Food Avoidance, Aversion, and Disgust Your Name Your Institution of Affiliation April 17, 2018 These days one of the enormous problems in the world (mainly First-world countries and urban areas) is obesity. This illness is said to be one of the reasons as to why millions of people die every day. However what is surprising is that in spite of all the studies pointing the dangers of unhealthy eating, this phenomenon is (1) very much complicated to be stopped and (2) mainly afflicts those who are in the lower class of the society. Following from the readings provided, the author believes that the main reason why obesity is almost impossible to be stopped is because its causes are not only psychological and physiological. Instead, it is embedded within the socio-political and economic system itself (Rozin). In one of Margaret Mead’s articles, entitled Why do we Overeat, she pointed out that obesity’s problem could be traced based on how our food eating habits changed due to changes in our external environment. Particularly speaking, she noted that before, food wasn’t so accessible that we tend to eat much. However, as it becomes too available these days, food’s function has shifted from being a staple of our existence towards an object of reward or punishment. Following from this, it must be noted that the problem with this kind of thinking is that it tends to make us think bilaterally about being overweight and obese. On the one hand, we know that being overweight would make us an outcast in society. This was evident in Julier’s article, as she noted that these days those who are obese (especially women) are most likely to experi...