Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Junk food: opiate of the masses

By Andrew Gunn - posted Thursday, 7 May 2009


In fact, my female patients often know more than me about which foods are fattening and which are not. In the world of women’s magazines, fat is huge, albeit dwarfed by the pressure to be thin.

If I think they will cope with the thought that I sometimes suggest to my chronically dieting overweight patients that their best bet would be to move to a developing country for a few years. There is nothing like a complete change of culture and diet - not to mention chronic diarrhoea - to keep you slim.

And within industrialised countries, guess who’s fattest? Certainly not the fat cats. Elites commonly eat carefully, attend a gym and lead long and healthy lives. Instead, obesity increases as one slides down the perceived social scale. In rich countries, poor people tend to be fat.

Advertisement

There is also a correlation is between social inequality and obesity. Guess which industrialised countries have the greatest obesity problem? The ones with the most marked social inequalities and greatest disparities between rich and poor. The USA is worst, with Australia tumbling towards it. Scandinavian countries and Japan are both the most egalitarian and the least fat.

The inference is obvious but too little discussed. People eat crap to make themselves feel better. Junk food is the opiate of the masses. To tackle obesity, let us first consider what causes it.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All

First published in Link Disability Magazine, April 2009.



Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

11 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Dr Andrew Gunn is a Brisbane GP, editor of New Doctor, National Treasurer of the Doctors Reform Society and Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine, University of Queensland.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Andrew Gunn

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Article Tools
Comment 11 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy