Journal Analysis

Journal Analysis

                        The journal article I have chosen to do my analysis over is “Supersizing America: Fatness and Post-9/11 Cultural Anxieties.” This journal article is all about the effects and meanings of over-consumption and how they can relate these reasons to the 9/11 terrorist attack. The majority of the journal is in relation to the 2004 film Supersize Me, by Morgan Spurlock, and it depicts his take on America and their need/desires for fast food, like McDonald’s. The basis of the journal is around how over-consumption leads to obesity and how that makes men more feminine, less productive and more vulnerable. The journal also states that after 9/11 the world needed to be dependent on something and pretty much needed to place blame somewhere so the overindulgence of food became the answer.

            This journal goes into detail about how bulimia and obesity are both risks when it comes to fast food and how the nation will die off in the end if obesity isn’t controlled. They place most of the blame for obesity on the companies themselves, and another portion of the blame is on the parents of obese children.

            With the large amount of data from the Supersize Me movie and the TV show created by Spurlock, 30 Days, the journal focuses a lot on the unintelligence of America and the importance of educating them on eating better. The journal ridicules those that are obese by giving reasons why these citizens are “lazy” or “unproductive.” They push for reasons on the company selling the food but happen to mention that people should change themselves rather than the company changing. There is a note where they believe that if they educate the public on organic food – which they note as incredibly more expense than fast food, which causes the purchasing of these goods to be small – then they can quit buying fast food, which would make these companies go under, or make them change their mission and turn to healthier options. Although the article is about relating fatness to the 9/11 attack, the article really is just geared towards trying to change people and their obesity.

            It is hard to distinguish if I agree or disagree with this article because of all of the different points that they bring out. I do agree that obesity is an issue in America, and I do agree that the changes need to come from the community and not the companies. Companies are created for the purpose of making money, if a company is making money off of something, they will not shut down. If we would attack companies for being the death of America, why not attack tobacco companies? I do not agree with associating laziness and 9/11 with obesity. I believe that people handle stress, sadness, happiness, and grief in many different ways; I also believe that overindulgence is one way that people cope with these feelings. My disagreement comes into place when they base the majority of obesity on these coping methods.

            The author of this journal, Courtney Bailey, and the references that were used, Morgan Spurlock to be specific, try to eliminate the idea of outside causes for obesity and putting it mainly on the fast food industry. They seem to forget that some health issues can cause these problems without ever eating a single burger in their life, or the cost relating to eating food is too much for someone to spend 3 or 4 times the amount of money on something that is “organic.” They forget about allergies and about cultures and other possible reasons for obesity. The way the movie and this article were written was so judgmental and insinuative that it can lead people to either “eat their feelings” and be more obese or become anorexic or bulimic.

            I do believe that the world knows that obesity is a problem, but to target the group with assumptions, stereotypes and name-calling is not the way to address the issue. Root causes should be found and motivation should be acquired. Trying to compare 9/11 and obesity and stating that they relate to one another in any way is like trying to say that I poop on a daily basis because I decided not to work anymore. Yes, I may have decided not to work anymore and yes I may poop on a daily basis, but the likelihood that one is happening because of the other is unrealistic. Yes, 9/11 did happen and yes, America has the highest rate of obesity, but to try and claim that the two correlate with each other is invalid. Maybe feelings relating to both, but the middleman is missing.

            I will admit that this side of the story – aside from relating it to 9/11 – is a side that can help some individuals with their obesity problems. It does give some ideas on ways to try and fix the problems and it also shows what can happen to the body, mind, and life cycle if the “problem” of obesity continues; this can help motivate some individuals. I do believe that it is an important topic to discuss as well. I just do not believe that it took the right route in trying to “fix” the problem. Degrading people and poking at their problems usually doesn’t lead them down a path of recovery or change, it leads to depression or retaliation, most of the time. The idea of the movie and journal were sound, I just view it as the wrong approach to the problem.

References

Bailey, C. Supersizing America: Fatness and Post-9/11 Cultural Anxieties. The Journal of Popular Culture, 43, 441-462.