Confusing constructions: Exploring the meaning of health with children in "obesity" treatment. Issue 3 (2nd September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ward, Pamela; Beausoleil, Natalie; Heath, Olga
• Is Part Of: Fat studies. Volume 6:Issue 3(2017)
• Page Start: 255
• Page End: 267
• Publication Date: 2017-09-02
• Subjects: Biopedagogies -- body -- children -- discourse -- fat -- feminist -- health -- obesity; Obesity -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Obesity -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Overweight persons -- Periodicals; Body weight -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 362.196398
• DOI: 10.1080/21604851.2017.1288494
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2160-4851

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Fat studies scholars challenge the notion of the "obesity epidemic, " explicating how "obesity" discourse serves to shape our views of health and the body. It is argued that childhood "obesity, " in particular, has been constructed as a modern day scourge that threatens the future health of populations. The authors provide an examination of the embodied experiences of children enrolled in an "obesity" treatment program in a Canadian hospital. Utilizing a feminist poststructural framework, they provide narratives illustrating how these children construct their meanings of health and how "obesity" discourse restricts fat children's opportunity to identify as healthy.