Asher Streater
Comp II
Professor Hammett
25 April 2025
The Epidemic of Obesity: Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock, the crowned “master of suspense,” would offer a fascinating take on the social epidemic of obesity. With over 42.4% of adults identifiable as obese, obesity as it seems is a rising epidemic in the modern world and a large source of preventable casualty throughout the U.S.(“Overweight & Obesity Statistics”). Throughout Hitchcock's writing we see him challenge societal norms and expectations as well as analyze the many perspectives and themes present in his writings. This leads to the conclusion that his perspective as an absurdist author would most likely lead to an emphasis on the adverse physiological effects of obesity and a shifted importance on the anxiety, self image, and indulgence of oneself known to come along with the title of obese.
Throughout his writing Alfred Hitchcock often used suspense to impact his audience. This highly placed value on suspense and evolving tension would see light shone on the cognitive dissonance, often shown through the device of metaphor, experienced by individuals struggling with obesity as well as the common societal judgement often expressed to obese members within society. Hitchcock has written many interesting characters and one of the ways he does this is through the often experienced vulnerability of his characters in moments of suspense. This is evident in movies such as Psycho in which the character Norman Bates is known to express severe adverse psychological issues taking on the role of someone with a split personality(Psycho). This complex and unsettling character serves as proof that Hitchcock would view obesity as a much more complex issue than initially meets the eye. Throughout his storytelling it is made evident that metaphor is his go to device to express social fragility. The Birds serves as a great example of this as the film explores man’s tendency towards self destructive behavior in the face of panic. This can be tied into the epidemic of obesity via the absurdist lens Hitchcock was known for viewing life through(The Birds 54:50-56:19).
Alfred Hitchcock personally battled obesity throughout the heavy majority of his life, serving a large role in his psychosocial development during his career. In a time where obesity was substantially less common, he found himself battling excessive weight at an early age. His relationship with food was complicated as his father was overweight and passed away due to it at Alfred’s young age of 15. Due to this he found himself deterred from obesity for the first time in his life. His first established control of his weight came at the start of his directing career in which he slimmed down to 179 pounds, being the lightest weight of his adult life. His addiction to food crept back into his life, and over the following year, he regained all the weight which he had lost and then some, reaching just over 300 pounds. Following this over the next 3 years Hitchcock managed to lose around 100 pounds. However, this was chased shortly thereafter with a gain of over 30 pounds. This fluctuation of weight is categorized by modern doctors as unhealthy due to the extreme weight loss by methods such as ingestion of only one meal per day. Towards the end of his life he exceeded his average weight, whilst still remaining substantially less than peak of his weight gain, which was well over 300 pounds. The most interesting part of all of this is how his stories evolved with him, as some of his strongest pieces followed the darkest times in his weight loss journey(McGilligan).This serves as another supporting reason as to why he would view obesity largely as a psychological defect more so than a physical epidemic.
Hitchcock's usage of rising tension often reflected the inner battles faced by his characters. This is comparable to the societal judgment faced by obese individuals and Hitchcock himself throughout his lifetime. Much like the ever building suspense of Psycho, heavily as a byproduct of the character Norman Bates, individuals experiencing obesity often face public scrutiny regarding their weight. This in tandem with the fragility of one’s self image, as well as the characters, makes it clear as to how society remains so affected by the epidemic of obesity. This remains on the same page as the twists and turns commonly found in his stories, comparable to that of losing the battle to unhealthy habits and falling back into obesity, much like Hitchcock found himself doing throughout his life. Hitchcock would likely see the irony in this as society seems to contradict itself in many ways such as promoting indulgence while shaming the common outcomes of obesity. This is most easily expressed by the commonality of fast food in modern society and often seen sedentary lifestyles. This is expressed in the film Rear Window where we see the protagonist Jeff criticize the people he watches from his rear window. Although the film is complex and expresses many disturbing ideas and actions, in many ways the irony of Jeff sharing the same characteristics with which he mocks others lives, it is very comparable to the irony surrounding society and its view of obesity. (Rear Window)
Evaluating his past, and his works in film, it is evident that through metaphor Alfred Hitchcock would view the epidemic of obesity as a battle of self image and social vulnerability. Paired with the recurring idea of existential dread it is easy to see how obesity affected Hitchcock's life so adversely, and how it shines through as an alarming epidemic which needs greater attention shifted towards it. The absurdist lens Hitchcock viewed his life through would likely see the transformation of the epidemic of obesity from one that serves a role as a physical epidemic, to one of adverse psychological effects. Paired with the overwhelming evidence from his films and his own life it is clear that Alfred Hitchcock’s take on obesity would see the audience finally confront the chaos as well as fragility of society and the standard with which it holds its individuals.
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Works Cited
McGilligan Patrick Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light Will Illinois Public Media. 2003.
“Overweight & Obesity Statistics - Niddk.” National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight- obesity. Accessed 25 April. 2025.
Rear Window. Directed by Hitchcock, Alfred Paramount Pictures, 1954.
The Birds. Directed by Hitchcock, Alfred, Universal Pictures Company, 1963.
Psycho. Directed by Hitchcock, Alfred Paramount Pictures, 1960.
