Beckett and Obesity

Samuel Beckett was aTwentieth Century Irish novelist, playwright, and poet.He is best known for writing the play Waiting for Godot.Beckett plays around with human error and theconsequences humanity creates for themselves.In Worstward Ho, Beckett said, “All of old. Nothing else ever. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”(Beckett 1).Samuel Beckett would have agreed that consumers are inherently failing themselves by contributing to an industry that promotes overconsumption.

Obesity rates in Americaare rising because of an industry that has been transformed by consumers over time to produce oversaturated foods and portions. The issue of obesity was one created by American consumers. The obesity epidemic in America has been increasing over the decades. Over the decades, many health officials have triednumerous times to slow down obesity and reverse the issue. However, because of their lack of widespread success, the lasting effects of the food industry’s role in promoting obesity has caused this detrimental social epidemic to continue to thrive.Thus, providing the backbone for the obesity epidemic to thrive on and suffocate attempts to suppress it. Further allowing it to not just fail but fail better.

Beckett begins by using the theme of polarity in his characters. An example of this is in Waiting for Godot where Vladamir and Estragon wait for Gadot despite him never showing up. In both acts of the play, the two characters pass time aimlessly in patiently waiting for Godot to arrive. The play then ending with the two men hanging themselves out of desperation. “Beckett played with the idea that life is often lived in anticipation of something which never materializes.”(Tearle 1). Beckett would not have supported the growing popularity of overconsumption. Not just from the food industries' efforts to market the trend of buying more for less, but also from the consumers that contribute to the issue. American society has repetitively made a trend of diets and promoting healthy living. Yet it is this same society that has made a habit of regularly consuming unhealthy foods.Those actionsin and of themselves reflect polarity the same way thatBecketts characters do in Waiting for Godot.

Furthermore, Beckett would agree that consumers are failing themselves in the same way Gadot failed Vladamir and Estragon by never showing up.The effects of junk food on the body are long lasting, and in severe cases will lead to death. Obesity rates in the U.S. have rapidly been on the rise since the 1980’s. The human body has not had time to adjust to the introduction of the highly processed foods that people are beginning to consume in enormous quantities. Obesity is a growing social epidemic in which consumers are choosing inherently to fail themselves. “Along with the increase in obesity there is a parallel increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance[7,8], and other complications of obesity, such as hypertension, sleep apnea, and arthritis.” (Singla 1). When an individual goes to eat a massive meal from McDonaldstheir main concern is tosatisfy their hunger. Never does the thought of dying prematurely from regularly consuming their highly processed meal cross their mind. Consumers are successfully failing themselves by participating in an impractical unhealthy lifestyle.

Consumers today are left with no choice about what they are eating. Beckett would agree that they are left “hopeless, bewildered, and anxious.” (Brittanica,1). In the same way that his characters were in Waiting for Gadot. It is the struggle of being stuck in a cycle of waiting for something that is not going to happen without change. A common theme among Absurdist's work is “A pessimistic vision of humanity struggling vainly to find a purpose and to control its fate. Humankind in this view is left feeling hopeless, bewildered, and anxious.” (Brittanica,1). Humanity struggling to control its fate, in this instance, is likeconsumers that are struggling to control the effects of the highly saturated foods on their bodies. Food manufacturers are failing their consumers by providing them with foods that increase the likelihood of obesity.For most people it is the difference between buying a bag of organic apples for $5 or a whole meal from McDonalds for the same price. Much of the obese population in America is made up of low-income families. (Millar 1).

In the play titled Murphey Beckett said,“Any fool can turn a blind eye but who knows what the ostrich sees in the sand.”(Beckett 1) Oftentimes, consumers are aware of the flawed ethics that go into producing what they are eating. Yet,they choose not to care because what they are eating ischeap andsatisfies their craving. Consumers are the fools turning that blind eye, and the ostrich in the sand is the companies that are consciously encouraging the trend of obesity to thrive. Companies are aware that they are putting addictive substances and highly caloric components into their foods. It is this excess of calories that is making it easier for people to gain weight. In addition, it is the addictive substances that are keeping people in a cycle of wanting to go back for more.

Beckett would disagree with society’s habit of keeping the cycle of obesity going. The cycle being created and maintained bypeople consciously contributing to the problem. Beckett said, “You won’t believe what you can accomplish by attempting the impossible with the courage to repeatedly fail better.”(Beckett 1) If the food industry is to fail its consumers, then the consumers should fail the industry by refusing to buy their highly caloric products. The issue of obesity is notsolely a matter of how much an individual consumes. Instead, most of the issue is in the food these individuals consume. Companies are knowingly causing obesity rates to grow, and they are creating products that will leave someone to crave more. In doing so, companies are profiting from the desire in a consumer they created. They are failing the consumer, so there is reason for the consumer to begin failing them. Consumers can change the market to being in their favor by acting to consistently choose healthier foods. This in turn would encourage healthier eating and lower obesity rates nationwide.

To conclude, consumers are failing themselves in choosing to contribute to an industry that is making them bigger by the day. Obesity is a result of an individual neglecting their health and body. Beckett would agree that society is choosing to fail themselves through the habit of ignoring the foods they are consuming. Absurdity is an attack on societal norms, and in this case, the norm is obesity. Obesity is a trend that needs to be controlled and regulated from both the consumer and the producer's end. Society has allowed obesity to grow and fester for so long. People are not just being failed by the food industry, but by themselves too. Beckett would recognize this issue and agree that society must turn it around. The power of choice needs to be given back to the American society. Beckett has acknowledged through his work that having a choice is not prevalent in most aspects of life.

Works Cited

Beckett, Samuel. “Worstword Ho.” Worstward Ho, www.samuel-beckett.net/w_ho.html. Accessed 12 Aug. 2023.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Theatre of the Absurd". Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Jul. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/art/Theatre-of-the-Absurd. Accessed 12 August 2023.

Millar, Hellen. “Obesity and Poverty: Link, Statistics and More.” Medical News Today, 25 Apr. 2023, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/obesity-and-poverty#risk-factors

Singla, Parul, et al. “Metabolic Effects of Obesity: A Review.” World Journal of Diabetes, 15 July 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3083889/.

Tearle, Oliver. “A Summary and Analysis of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.” Interesting Literature, 23 Apr. 2023, interestingliterature.com/2021/06/beckett-waiting-for-godot-summary-analysis/.