Arguably, obesity has become one of the most debated issues concerning public health. The youth and children are among the most at-risk age groups considering their affiliation to television and video games. The centrality of this health crisis within the public agenda can be evidenced in the increased coverage by the media and other forms of communication on how the youth are ending up obese due to their increased watching of television and lack of physical exercise. In Australia, studies point out that the rate of obesity and overweight has increased in all genders and age groups. In men, the rate of obesity rose 9.3% to 17.1% from 1980 to 2000. In women, the rate increased from 8.0% to 18.9% in the same years. In summary, the rate of obesity tripled in Australia among all ages and gender (Nathan, Develin, Grove & Zwi, 2005).
What is a moral panic and what are its characteristics? A moral panic is an intensive feeling of concern expressed towards a specific demographic bracket because of a given character or event within them that threatens the well-being of the social fabric. In their definition, Bernard involves the words social menaces and deviant groups. Precisely, they define oral panics as processes that try to enlighten society on an issue that is considered a menace to the community and that is perpetrated by a group that is tagged deviant. Examples of such menaces that threaten the social fabric might include involvement in gang activities, youth violence, witch hunting, et cetera (Bernard, 1997).
Like many other phenomena, moral panic has its unique characteristics. First, they must have an aspect of social concern. Society usually develops an awareness of the problem in question and the likely consequences should the behavior persist. Emphasis is laid mostly on the anticipated negative impact. Consequently, the second character comes into question. There develops a distinct boundary between “them” and “us.” This causes hostility that eventually leads to the third characteristic which is consensus. The groups that consider the given behavior a great threat to the social order eventually come together to form a group called the moral entrepreneurs which should appear stronger than the group involved in the behavior and which is referred to as the folk devils. The latter must appear weak and less vocal. The moral entrepreneurs eventually come up with an action that is usually disproportionate. Finally, moral panics tend to be volatile. They appear and disappear quickly following the alteration of attention from the public that concentrates on another topic (Garbarino, 1996).
It is axiomatic that obesity is one of America and the world’s current problems. The issue of obesity can be classified as a moral panic considering its characteristics. To begin with, a moral panic has the characteristic of social concern. Considering the increased media highlight, obesity has been on top of the list. As mentioned in the opening paragraph, obesity was mentioned in media agents only 12 times in 1999 in comparison to 1,400 mentions in 2010. This indicates the increased concern on the issue. It also assumed a leading role with increased television watching and obsession with video games by the youth (Kelly, 2001, p23).
Secondly, moral panic is associated with hostility. in the recent past, the people affected by obesity have been characterized as lazy people who do not involve in physical exercise. They are assumed to be people who spend all their time watching television. Consensus forms the other characteristic of moral panic. Stakeholders have identified the consequences of obesity to society. In their analysis, it has been accepted that this problem is costing the economy $229 billion every year. As a result, it appears to be a concern for every individual American (Kenway, & Bullen, 2001, p41).
The aspect of “them” and “us” has been identified. This includes the determination of how one should be to qualify as a healthy individual. The use of the Body Mass Index, though flawed, has been determined as the measuring factor for obese people and healthy ones. This brings to the point the aspect of them and us between those with obese characteristics and those without. Disproportionate aspect comes in place through the unreal establishment of the consequences of obesity. Studies show that the health complications associated with obesity are effects of poor eating habits and lack of physical activities and not the result of BMI index. The body mass index which specifies that all people between 25 and 29.9 are overweight while those measuring 30 or over are obese does not portray a true picture. This eventually puts all NFL players overweight while 56% are obese! (Golub, 2005, p1). However, the risks of NFL players getting the health complications associated with obesity are very low (Riel, 2006, p29).
Therefore, it is obvious that the issue of obesity is a moral panic. This is because it has not been determined whether the dangers associated with obesity are actually a result of the same or are they simply aftermaths of a poor diet and individuals’ lack of activity. Notably, some scholars strongly believe in the exaggeration of the health risks associated with obesity. According to them, the phobia has only been created by the increased obsession with the issue created by the media and the whole society. Consequently, American society believes that being fat is a vice while being thin is a virtue. This has led to the general belief that only thin people are healthy. This notion is erroneous. It is not generally true to believe this given the method through which obesity is measured. The use of the BMI index to determine whether one is obese or overweight is flawed by the fact that many aspects of the human body are not put into consideration. For instance, the gender of the individual, genetic characteristics like race, muscle mass, and bone density are not accounted for. As a result, the body mass index which specifies that all people between 25 and 29.9 are overweight while those measuring 30 or over are obese does not portray a true picture. This eventually puts all NFL players overweight while 55% are obese (Golub, 2005, p1).
In conclusion, it is true to argue that obesity is an issue worth social concern given the increased use of technology. The youth have increased their television watching habits and time spent on video and computer games. However, the agent of moral panic, which is the media, could also be blamed for the disproportionate dissemination of the information. Considering that most of the health complications are not a result of being on the wrong side of the BMI index, it is legitimate to argue that the issue of obesity is a moral panic perpetuated by the media.
List of References
Bernard, S.,1997. Youth Crime, Moral Panics, and the News: The Conspiracy Against the Marginalized in Canada, Social Justice, 24 (2), pp. 165-84.
Garbarino, J.,1996. Youth in Dangerous Environments: Coping with the Consequences.
In: Hurrelmann, K & S. Hamilton, Eds., 1996. Social Problems and Social Contexts in Adolescence: Perspectives Across Boundaries, New York: Aldine De Gruyter, pp. 269-90.
Golub, R., March, 2005. Obesity in the National Football League. Journal of the American Medical Association, 293, (9). Web.
Kelly, P., 2001. Youth at Risk: Processes of Individualization and Responsibilisation: The Risk Society’ Discourse. Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education 22,(1), pp. 23-33.
Kenway, J & Bullen, L., 2001. Popular and Profane Pedagogies. In: Kenway, J & E. Bullen. Eds. 2001. Consuming Children: Education-Entertainment-Advertising, Buckingham: Open University Press, pp. 151-67.
Nathan, S., Develin, E., Grove, N., & Zwi, A., 2005. An Australian childhood obesity summit: The role of data and evidence in ‘public’ policy making. Australia and New Zealand Health Policy. Web.
Riele, K., 2006. Youth ‘At Risk’: Further Marginalizing the Marginalized? Journal of Education Policy 21,(2), pp. 129–45.