The prevalence of obesity and related health problems has increased sharply in recent decades. Dominant medical, economic, psychological, and especially epidemiological accounts conceptualise these trends as outcomes of individuals’ lifestyles – whether freely chosen or determined by an array of obesogenic factors. As such, they rest on forms of methodological individualism, causal narratives, and a logic of substitution in which people are encouraged to set currently unhealthy ways of life aside. This article takes a different approach, viewing trends in obesity as consequences of the dynamic organisation of social practices across space and time. By combining theories of practice with emerging accounts of epigenetics, we explain how changing constellations of practices leave their marks on the body. We extend the concept of biohabitus to show how differences in health, well-being, and body shape are passed on as relations between practices are reproduced and transformed over time. In the final section, we take stock of the practical implications of these ideas and conclude by making the case for extended forms of enquiry and policy intervention that put the organisation of practices front and centre.

中文翻译：

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肥胖社会：重新认识公共卫生挑战

近几十年来，肥胖症和相关健康问题的流行率急剧上升。占主导地位的医学、经济、心理学，尤其是流行病学解释将这些趋势概念化为个人生活方式的结果——无论是自由选择的还是由一系列致胖因素决定的。因此，它们依赖于方法论个人主义、因果叙事和替代逻辑的形式，其中鼓励人们将目前不健康的生活方式放在一边。本文采用不同的方法，将肥胖趋势视为跨空间和时间的社会实践动态组织的结果。通过将实践理论与表观遗传学的新兴解释相结合，我们解释了不断变化的实践星座如何在身体上留下印记。我们扩展概念生物习惯来展示健康、幸福和体型的差异如何随着实践之间的关系随着时间的推移而被复制和转变。在最后一部分，我们评估了这些想法的实际含义，并通过将实践组织置于首位和中心的扩展形式的调查和政策干预来总结。