The demographic data only makes this more depressing. The richer you are, the less likely you are to be obese, likely because buying healthy food is expensive and folks have to make rent. Racial minorities are more likely to be obese than whites, probably thanks to food apartheid. Predatory advertising doesn't help by targeting minorities and children.
I'm all for personal responsibility for fitness, but the deck is stacked against disadvantaged groups from the get-go when it comes to nutrition. As always, white capitalists are more than happy to get rich off the death and suffering of poor people of color.
Personal responsibility is great when you're making personal decisions. But you can't reverse social trends with personal responsibility - fat people have been trying to lose weight forever, most don't succeed. You need social policy to change to change the way society works - it's not like 50% of Americans just decided to be fat all of a sudden.
The demographic data only makes this more depressing. The richer you are, the less likely you are to be obese, likely because buying healthy food is expensive and folks have to make rent. Racial minorities are more likely to be obese than whites, probably thanks to food apartheid. Predatory advertising doesn't help by targeting minorities and children.
I'm all for personal responsibility for fitness, but the deck is stacked against disadvantaged groups from the get-go when it comes to nutrition. As always, white capitalists are more than happy to get rich off the death and suffering of poor people of color.
Personal responsibility is great when you're making personal decisions. But you can't reverse social trends with personal responsibility - fat people have been trying to lose weight forever, most don't succeed. You need social policy to change to change the way society works - it's not like 50% of Americans just decided to be fat all of a sudden.
Couldn't agree more