Obesity as structural injustice
Together with Marcel Canoy, I wrote an article for the Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde in which we argue that obesity is a form of structural injustice. Large groups of vulnerable people are disadvantaged and discriminated against while their vulnerable position is facilitated by a sick market cycle that mainly benefits the food industry, retail and pharmaceutical companies. At the same time, prevention programs are failing. For many reasons, we continue to view overweight and obesity as a matter of individual responsibility. Scientific methodology also has a crucial role in this. Of course, obesity is often also something people can take responsibility for themselves, but that does not diminish the responsibility of society, government, industry and science.