Charlotte Curran
Bio
Philosophy graduate and masters student. Interested in the Philosophy of Food and Food Ethics.
Stories (2/0)
Lost Connections
Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari No one has a 'malfunctioning brain' and the stories we have been told about chemical imbalances, anti-depressants and mental health are all a series of mis-information, pharmaceutical greed and bad science. There is an immense amount of solace to be discovered when we understand that anger, sadness, happiness, fear, anxiousness all make sense in equal measures and are normal responses to certain social or environmental conditions.
By Charlotte Curran4 years ago in Psyche
The Ethics of Fat Shaming
Fat people are the most openly stigmatized individuals in our society, with published data suggesting that weight stigma is more pervasive and intense than racism and sexism. There is well-documented bias and discrimination against fat people, particularly in the workplace, medical sphere and the media. In the workplace, discrimination exists with respect to hiring, wages, promotion and termination, as seen in Cawley’s paper, The Impact of Obesity on Wages, which found that fat white females earn 11.2 percent less than their non-fat counterparts. In the medical sphere, fat oppression is very much present; over 40% of physicians were found to have a negative reaction towards obese patients and physicians may be dissuaded from suggesting or performing certain procedures on obese patients. There are endless examples of weight bias in the media; from ‘fat Monica’ in Friends to The Biggest Loser and The Nutty Professor, fat people are depicted in a variety of degrading ways. Fat characters in TV and film are more likely to be seen eating and to be the objects of humour compared to their thinner counterparts, highlighting that even when fat bodies are represented, these characters are usually depicted as unattractive, ridiculous, contemptible, and even gross and disgusting. These alarming realities indicate that fatism is not considered as a serious form of bias, perhaps due to its normalisation or the vast attempts to justify this oppression.
By Charlotte Curran4 years ago in Longevity