Neoliberalism and the "Obesity Epidemic"

<p>Neoliberalism has been described as a political and economic theory that proposes "human well-being can best be advanced by liberating... freedoms...within an institutional framework [of]...strong private property rights [and] free markets.... [I]f markets do not exist (...such as in... health care) then they must be created, by state action if necessary." I would argue that the "Obesity Epidemic" is just such a created Neoliberal market, and in fact does not actually exist as an "epidemic." By changing the computation of BMI (Body Mass Index) in 1998, the federal government created the "Obesity Epidemic" by definitional fiat, despite myriad contradictory evidence</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

Master

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Liberal Studies

Grantor

The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York

Year dc:date.available

2014

Author dc:creator

• Rubinstein, Dianne

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Hester Eisenstein

• Women's Studies
• neoliberalism
• obesity epidemic
• diet industry
• media industry
• obesity industrial complex
• sugar industry

Repository record dc:identifier

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/277

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:academicworks.cuny.edu:gc_etds-1276