I was part of a recent online discussion about obesity and health when it became quite clear that by not first agreeing on the definition of obesity and the definition of health, the conversation was going to be a dead end.
There are multiple definitions available for both of these terms, which leads to an interesting and useful question: what is a definition?
Here are two resources to help answer this:
For those with a philosophical bent—and for those who want to have long talks about subjects such as health and obesity—I think the best starting point is Richard Robinson’s book 1954 book Definition. It’s superbly written and can be read easily in one long afternoon.
For those who simply can’t wait—or don’t enjoy the excitement of tracking down out-of-print books online!—another great resource is the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Section Definitions. This is a more difficult read than Robinson’s book and also has a more analytical approach, but it has excellent references, and can also be worked through in an long afternoon.
Happy reading!