The bodies constructed by the culture of consumption: The relationship between consumption, health and medicalization

Consumption and mankind are two concepts which cannot be separable from ancient times to modern day. Where there is human, there has been consumption and it will continue to be. However the purpose and content of consumption have changed nowadays; whereas people of ancient times consumed just for their needs, today's people consume for social acceptance, the indicator of status and the way of self-expression because of developing economy, capitalism and society of consumption resulting from both. The biggest profit sources of today's consumption economy are human body and health. The priority and musthave of all the individuals in society without any discrimination of being rich or poor and being young or old is their health. Under these circumstances body and health take their places from the top of the must-have of consumption. Media has an undeniable place in the process of consumption of health and body. Altough they seem to be focused on health and personal benefits the news about health many of which made of commercial purposes has been presented to people by different ways like television, newspapers and magazines and the message implying that the products mentioned in those news must be undoubtedly consumed to be healthy has been given. In these news, body and the image of body has been continually used besides health, the ideal body sizes to have, beauty and the standards of thinness has been imposed to individuals. The purpose of this study is to examine how body and health are made the parts of consumption under the statements of healthy life and how people are directed to consumption with the purpose of producing ideal bodies of the consumption culture.