SOC240 Unit 4

Haley Morris-Cafiero's work

-"Wait Watchers" -"Self-Improvement"

Describe Abigail Saguy's research.

-Book "What's wrong with being fat?" -"The United States, we are told, is facing an obesity epidemic-a 'battle of the bulge' of not just national, but global proportions-that requires drastic and immediate action. Experts in the media, medical science, and government alike are scrambling to find answers. What or who is responsible for this fat crisis, and what can we do to stop it? -Abigail Saguy argues that these fraught and frantic debates obscure a more important question: How has fatness come to be understood as a public health crisis at all?" -"Because we all so obsessed about weight, we link issues of nutrition to 'we're gonna get fat, our children are gonna get fat' - that draws people's attention and that's why it's being done. It misrepresents the issue, it reinforces weight-based discrimination, and it comes with very serious social costs." -Abigail Saguy

How has the presence of food pantries on college campuses changed over the years?

-Exponential growth, 1 in 1993; 121 in 2014 -College campuses have started food banks after consulting with MSUSFB

Describe Sara Goldrick-Rab's research.

-Professor of Educational Policy/food insecurity and affect it has on education/cost of college education -71% changed their food shopping or eating habits due to lack of funds, 27% did not have enough money to buy food, ate less than they felt they should, or cut the size of their meals. - In 2013 Sara founded The Wisconsin HOPE Lab, the nation's first laboratory for translational research aimed at improving equitable outcomes in postsecondary education.

Describe findings on weight-based discrimination and laws

In education: • Obese women were once less likely to be accepted into college (1967 study) • Parents of obese girls less likely to provide financial support for their daughters to attend college • Overweight professors rated lower In employment, • Obesity lowers women's annual earnings by 4.5% • Obesity lowers men's annual earnings by 2.3% • 93% of employers choose applicants of "normal weight" over equally qualified obese applicants Laws: • Title VII of Civil Rights Act protects against job discrimination in race, color, religion, sex, age, and national origin • Americans with Disabilities Act protects against discrimination in disability

Halo Effect

The transfer of goodwill or positive feelings about one characteristic of a person to other, unrelated characteristics • Overweight & obese employees are more likely to be viewed in terms of their physique • Other qualities - such as enthusiasm, dependability, and intelligence - are overlooked • Victims of weight-based discrimination are more likely to be obese after the discrimination experience