In recent years, the public health crisis of obesity has entered the mass media and common discourse across the country. As obesity grows, different viewpoints have emerged for understanding and addressing this mounting health concern. While the dietary contributions to obesity are often discussed, less frequently addressed are the complex causes of obesity and the powerful roles of social-economic and political contexts, poverty, and the influence of the food industry that may contribute to obesity. This panel will explore the different viewpoints related to the causes and social-economic dimensions of obesity, and approaches or strategies to tackle the obesity crisis when recognizing this complex context.
A panel discussion moderated by Patricia Crawford, Director, Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health, UC Berkeley; Cooperative Extension Specialist, Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology; Adjunct Professor, School of Public Health. The panel will feature:
Julie Guthman, Professor, Sociology and Community Studies, UC Santa Cruz; author of Weighing In: Obesity, Food Justice, and the Limits of Capitalism
Hilary Seligman, Professor, Medicine, UC San Francisco; Internist, San Francisco General Hospital
Rodney Taylor, Director, Nutrition Services Department, Riverside Unified School District
Sponsored by the Berkeley Food Institute in Collaboration with the Center for Weight and Health and the Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Berkeley.
Free and open to the public. This event is part of the BFI Food Exchange Series.