As a pysch major, the running joke in our department had always been the most neurotic and psychotic were usually the ones (present company excluded, of course) that wanted to go into pyschology as a way to better understand their shortcomings rather than help others in need. Well, the same seems to be true for the latest and greatest trendy major of the moment – Fat Studies.

A sociological hybrid, Fat Studies aims to explore the culutural stereotypes, historical insights, and global impact of those who are obese. As Jezebel points out, there's quite a few academic haters who feel that this topic isn't rigorous enough, that it tends to be too sympathetic to the overweight, and that the students who take the classes are heavy themselves.

Personally, I think this is an interesting study, but not one that deserves it's own department. Traditionally, this would fall as a sub-category in sociology and psychology. After all, while there is TONS of medical information on the impact of being overweight, truly the reason WHY people become overweight to begin with (outside of overeating) still remains hazy. Much like my "Pyschology of Death" class way back in the day (in which we explored the seven stages of mourning and even took a field trip to a funeral and a cemetary), understanding what sets it off is just as important as how we as a society react to it.