Extending the obesity debate, repudiating misrecognition: Politicising fatness and health (practice)

Debating obesity can be difficult. For example, critiquing obesity discourse might be (mis)read as a criticism of individual doctors, or a failure to appreciate public health, which ostensibly seeks to avoid victim blaming with its focus on 'the obesogenic environment'. In extending the obesity debate and politicising fatness and health (practice) more generally, this article responds to such criticisms as expressed by a 'sceptic' who has otherwise sought to challenge obesity science. This, in turn, helps to 'clear some ground' for critical weight studies and alternative clinical paradigms. After engaging relevant literature and repudiating the misrecognition of some of my own research, the article concludes with some reflections on how the debate might proceed amidst the flak and 'friendly fire'.