ANTH152 - FAT AND SOCIETY

This course is designed to approach a topic of great interest and relevance to people-both men and women--living in the US today.The readings and concepts of fat: physiology, anatomy, body image, body, weight, macronutrient, "fatty" foods, ideas about low fat and non-fat, and the morality of fat and thin. Using critical thinking skills from anthropology, students and instructor will explore meanings of fat: their origin, their effects on individuals, and on society. In particular, we will examine ideas taken for granted by society (especially the biomedical culture, as it extends into the community) about the relations between food, fatness, happiness, health and morality. Course material draws broadly from the social sciences and humanities and deals with the biological, biomedical, and socio- cultural aspects of fat in our culture. In saying "fat", we are also implicitly saying "thin", and this course is designed to delve into the varied discourse on fat/thin, on body/body image, health, and beauty.