The Crisis of Fat Body in the Neoliberal Era: the Case of Obesity in Turkey

Abstract

Obesity research has been predominantly shaped by biomedical and political economy approaches that emphasize energy imbalance and individual responsibility. While critical perspectives challenge these narratives, they often neglect the structural and socio-economic production of obesogenic environments. This study conceptualizes obesity as a structurally embedded outcome of capitalist social relations and neoliberal restructuring, with a specific focus on the Turkish context. This study adopts a dialectical critical realist approach to analyse obesity at three levels: empirical (observable trends), actual (underlying mechanisms), and deep (structural causes). Quantitative data, obtained from authoritative institutional sources, illustrate rising obesity rates and contributing mechanisms. Qualitative data, systematically selected from academic and institutional sources, are used to examine the structural roots of obesity in capitalist social relations, focusing on how individuals function as both labour and consumers. The findings indicate that flexible labour markets contribute to obesity by increasing stress levels, while agricultural industrialisation promotes the consumption of chemical-laden, low-nutrition food. Furthermore, the commodification of health services frames obesity as an individual issue rather than a societal one, leading to ineffective treatment and prevention policies. Despite increasing scientific evidence on the biological and metabolic complexities of obesity, dominant strategies remain reductionist. Effective public health policies should move beyond profit-oriented frameworks and adopt holistic, interdisciplinary approaches that consider social, economic, and environmental factors. Further research is needed to explore transformative strategies that prioritize collective well-being over capital interests.