There is a stereotype within many cultures which assumes that increased weight has an inverse relationship with health. This section looks at the relationship between the two factors, and we hope you draw your own conclusions and question any biases you bring into the section. We wanted to examine what goes into health and being “healthy”—one of those terms like “normal,” which can be subjective while seeming objective.
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What role do our genes play in influencing our body weight and what we like to eat? Why do some people gain weight more easily than others, and is it all down to genes or are there other factors at play? In this episode, we talked with a clinician and scientist Sadaf Farooqi, health psychologist Theresa Marteau, and geographer Thomas Burgoine about the multitude of factors that go into influencing our eating behaviours. Along the way, we hear about the crucial importance of the environment in influencing our eating behaviour, including “zoning” - the effort to keep fast food outlets no more than 400 yards from schools, and learn how our food has become more calorific over the past 20 to 30 years. Our guests discuss how ultimately, communicating information about obesity doesn’t necessarily change our behaviour towards food, as we are much more influenced by our genes and environment than what's inside our heads.
While we don't own these books, they are relevant to this topic and might help provide additional guidance. We recommend checking with your local library. Boston Public Library offers free library eCards for MA residents (and for those living in MA while attending school in-state or who work for a MA employer). These free eCards allow you to access their online resources (which includes large collection of eBooks/AudioBooks/and more from OverDrive and Hoopla).
Fat Politics by 
Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture by 
Hunger by 
“You Just Need to Lose Weight”: And 19 Other Myths About Fat People by 
