Description
Book Synopsis2018 Morris Rosenberg Award, DC Sociological Society
In recent years, questions such as what are kids eating? and who's feeding our kids? have sparked a torrent of public and policy debates as we increasingly focus our attention on the issue of childhood obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that while 1 in 3 American children are either overweight or obese, that number is higher for children living in concentrated poverty. Enduring inequalities in communities, schools, and homes affect young people's access to different types of food, with real consequences in life choices and health outcomes. Fast-Food Kids sheds light on the social contexts in which kids eat, and the broader backdrop of social change in American life, demonstrating why attention to food's social meaning is important to effective public health policy, particularly actions that focus on behavioral change and school food reforms.
Through in-depth interviews and observation
Trade Review
In Fast-Food Kids, Amy Best takes us beyond the hype about obesity epidemics and food deserts, vividly bringing us into the world of young people and their food cultures. From the bustling cafeteria, to the local fast food joint, Best shows us how issues of class, race, health and indeed youth culture itself are shaped and shaped by food choices, eating practices and food availability. An important read for those concerned about young people, health and inequality. -- C. J. Pascoe, author of Dude, You're a Fag
Seeks to make apparent the moral dimensions and judgments that attach so readily, and strongly, to the choices that are imagined as being open to us all as we feed ourselves and our families. In these ongoing debates Best's book makes a valuable contribution. * American Journal of Sociology *
Beautifully written and interwoven with shrewd observations, Fast-Food Kids makes a robust case for qualitative empirical analysis in health policymaking. * Political and Legal Anthropology Review *
