Tackling Obesity from a Psychological Standpoint
Department of Psychology, Drexel University
Psychology 101
Dr. Marlin Killen
December 3, 2021
Tackling Obesity from a Psychological Standpoint
Obesity has been one of the leading causes of death in the United States for decades now
with nearly 1 in 5 adults from 1986 to 2006 dying from the condition ("How many deaths"
2021). There has been a growing national dialogue (quite arguably, still not enough) about the
array of political and economic factors that cause obesity in this country at such a wide level.
While these are important ways of tackling the issue, it can be argued that more should be done
from a psychological standpoint as well. Eating disorders are mental disorders can and do often
lead to obesity. The reputation eating disorders have in popular culture lead to people
overlooking victims of these disorders simply because they are not thin. The reality is just as
poor mental health can cause one to lose an unhealthy amount of weight, it can cause one to gain
an unhealthy amount of weight, which can be just as devastating. Examining how we, as a
culture, can collectively facilitate a healthier relationship with food is significant work that needs
to be done in order to help in reducing obesity-related deaths. This exactly what Michel Tuan
Pham accomplishes effectively in his article, Using consumer psychology to fight obesity.
Pham discusses the ways in which the general hyper-consumption culture in the United
States also fuels the obesity epidemic. The article argues that rather than focusing on what
consumers are eating, the dialogue should surround how consumers are eating. Pham highlights
the ways in which one's consumption quantity are affected psychologically, naming sensory,
emotional, and normative factors as the main three. He uses his background in consumption
psychology to explain how these three factors could be regulated to produce more healthy
outcomes starting with food markets and retailers. The author's perspective here offers great
hope for the tackling of the obesity epidemic as he lays out simple alterations that can be made
on even a local level to help consumers monitor their food consumption more effectively
If we can push for a larger national discussion on the psychological aspects of obesity, the
research of psychologists like Michel Tuan Pham would be essential in practically implementing
policies in local food retailers to lessen the firm hold obesity currently has on the United States.
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