Something to Chew On: A Situational Analysis of Food, Eating, and Weight at Eating Disorder Conferences and Obesity Conferences

Date
2017
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Volume Title
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Abstract
Eating disorders and obesity are often represented as separate concerns. Despite research showing that eating disorders and obesity can be represented along a spectrum of eating- and weight-related concerns, practitioners and researchers continue to work in opposition. Using a social constructionist, situational analysis, I explored how food, eating, and weight were differently represented according to cultural discourses evident at eating disorder conferences and obesity conferences by examining food menus and abstracts of presentations. I identified discursive tensions across and within the eating disorder and obesity fields regarding representations of (a) food presentation at conferences, (b) acceptable eating behaviors, and (c) beliefs about individual responsibility for weight. My analysis suggests a need for more effective, coordinated communications across the eating disorder and obesity fields to enhance prevention-oriented practice, and underscores the important roles of psychologists in assisting their clients to develop alternate ways of relating to food, eating, and their bodies.
Description
Keywords
Educational Psychology
Citation
Williamson, M. (2017). Something to Chew On: A Situational Analysis of Food, Eating, and Weight at Eating Disorder Conferences and Obesity Conferences (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/27831