[Obesity as structural injustice: towards a radically different social contract for a healthier society].

Abstract

The prevalence of obesity in the Netherlands has been on the rise for decades and recent preventive efforts of government and other societal actors appear insufficient to reverse this trend. The development of food technologies neutralizing the impact of fat and sugar, and medicines that might help individuals losing weight could be seen as part of a solution. We argue however that these also reinforce three fundamental societal problems underlying the obesity crisis: a vicious market cycle, the framing of overweight as a problem of individuals, and an epistemological dilemma in science. Together these problems constitute a vicious circle that is especially harmful for socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. Many societal actors are involved in these problems and share moral responsibility for taking away the causes of injustice, including food industry, retailers, health care, and government. Effective prevention of obesity may require developing avenues to legally enforce these responsibilities.