Deck 14: Food and Obesity, Melina Packer and Julie Guthman

Question 1

1) In assessing the causes of obesity, proponents of the food system perspective focus on

A) government policies that have made less nutritious food cheaper than high quality fruits and vegetables.
B) the lack of access by people who live in food deserts and swamps to healthy and nutritious food.
C) business behavior that places high profit-low nutrient food near the entrance and check-out lines.
D) All of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

2. In the United States, there are differences in obesity rates by race. ?

Answer 2

True

Question 3

3) The personal responsibility approach to obesity argues that

A) obesity is an outcome of the structure of the food system.
B) obesity is an outcome of obesogenic environments.
C) obesity is a result of people's lack of self-control.
D) obesity is an outcome of people's exposures to chemicals.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

4) In terms of obesity, research indicates that

A) high caloric intake combined with low caloric expenditure is the primary cause of obesity.
B) there are significant differences in total caloric intake by race.
C) calories are an excellent measure of food intake.
D) what matters more than the quantity of caloric intake is the kinds of calories people consume.

Question 5

5) The assumption that obesity results from an excess of calorie intake relative to calorie expenditure is called

A) the energy balance model.
B) the obesogenic environment model.
C) the epigenetic model.
D) calorie in/calorie out model.

Question 6

6) The obesogenic environment thesis argues that

A) exposure to obesogens are the primary cause of obesity.
B) obesity is an outcome of genetic predisposition.
C) obesity is primary a result of people being surrounded by cheap, fast, nutritionally inferior food and a lack of opportunities for physical activity.
D) poor personal food choices by individuals are the primary cause of obesity.

Question 7

7) Individual studies, as well as systematic reviews, of the food desert literature show that

A) there is a direct correlation between lack of access to supermarkets and obesity.
B) physical environmental factors are consistently and reliably associated with adult obesity.
C) lack of access is a primary cause of obesity of people of color, but not low-income people.
D) the evidence is mixed regarding the relationship between access to supermarkets and obesity.

Question 8

8. If people do not live close to a supermarket they cannot eat healthy and thus are obese. ?

Question 9

9) Which of the following statements is accurate regarding commodity subsidy programs?

A) They make all food products cheaper in the U.S.
B) They primarily go to support fresh produce.
C) They primary support row crops, such as corn and soy.
D) They are the primary cause of obesity in the U.S.

Question 10

10) One reason that processed foods tend to cost less than fresh fruits and vegetables is

A) higher demand.
B) over-supply.
C) lower production costs and labor costs.
D) longer shelf life.

Question 11

11. Today, on, average, U.S. households spend a smaller percentage of income on food than in the 1950s. ?

Question 12

12) Compared to the wealthiest Americans, the poorest spend _____ on food.

A) a smaller percentage of their income
B) a greater percentage of their income
C) the same percentage of their income
D) nothing (it is all subsidized)

Question 13

13) By only focusing on what people choose to eat, research on obesity may be missing

A) how the quality of food affects obesity in addition to the quantity consumed.
B) the effects of dieting on obesity.
C) the way production practices affect food quality.
D) the numerous substances people ingest unintentionally or are exposed to.

Question 14

14) Phenotypic changes caused by chemicals that can interfere with genetic expression in ways that permanently transform bodily form and function, are called

A) epigenetics.
B) obesogens.
C) genetic modification.
D) toxic body burden.

Question 15

15) Many chemical substances that have been identified as possible obesogens are

A) pesticides.
B) packaging materials.
C) food ingredients.
D) All of the above

Question 16

16) Women in the U.S. consume fewer calories on average than men, yet exhibit higher obesity rates overall. This indicates that

A) obesity in women is a result of social pressure.
B) exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals through personal care and household cleaning products may contribute to obesity in women.
C) women make poorer personal decisions in terms of eating than men.
D) differential socialization between men and women is responsible for higher rates of obesity among women.

Question 17

17) _____ might be a better measure of obesity and health than BMI?

A) Toxic body burden
B) Epigenetics
C) Microbial exposure
D) Stress-cortisol levels

Question 18

18) While not conclusive, microbiome studies indicate that

A) there is nothing that can be done to combat obesity, as pollution levels are irreversible.
B) chemical exposure may counteract obesity.
C) environmental factors, such as antibiotic residues in water, air and food may contribute to obesity.
D) if people eat more probiotic yogurt, they will lose significant weight.

Question 19

19) Research indicates that _______ contributes to obesity.

A) failure of government regulations to ensure that people are not exposed to unsafe levels of toxic chemicals and additives
B) failure of government regulations to prevent the overuse of hormones and antibiotics in livestock production
C) the biological toll of high-stress and low wage jobs on people
D) All of the above

Question 20

20) According to Lesson 14, _______ is/are necessary to combat obesity.

A) reforms to the food system
B) better education regarding healthy eating
C) lower caloric intake
D) food system reform, labor reform, policies combating racism, and better regulations of chemicals

Question 21

1. Explain the energy balance model and provide one critique of it.

Question 22

2. Explain the obesogenic environment thesis and provide one critique of it.

Question 23

3. Explain how epigenetics changes affects understandings of obesity.

Question 24

1. Lesson 14 suggests that obesity "may be far less about food intake and far more about social and environmental (in)justice." Write an essay that examines this perspective.

Question 25

2. Many of the policy recommendations focused on combating obesity focus on enabling people to eat healthier. They include such things as providing calorie counts on menus, eliminating commodity crop subsidies, and building grocery stores in food deserts. Write an essay that examines the effectiveness of such approaches for addressing obesity in the U.S.