The Portrayal of Obesity in U.K. National Newspapers

Citation

Flint SW, Hudson J & Lavallee D (2016) The Portrayal of Obesity in U.K. National Newspapers. Stigma and Health, 1 (1), pp. 16-28. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000013

Abstract
Obesity is a major medical health challenge; however, the associated stigma represents a harmful and obstructive obstacle to treatment. The study purpose was to explore the portrayal of obesity in UK national newspapers. A purposive sample of 312 editions (weekday: n = 208; weekend: n = 104) from six newspapers (3 broadsheet; 3 tabloid) was analysed. All text related to obesity was content analysed. In total 349 articles were analysed. Weight stigmatization and the portrayal of overweight and obesity as a moral digression were evident. Findings demonstrate that UK national newspapers attribute obesity to controllable causes. Caricatured portrayals of overweight and obesity was evident and may play a pivotal role in the formation and maintenance of anti-obesity attitudes.

Keywords
anti-obesity attitudes; weight stigmatization; overweight and obesity; newspaper portrayal

Journal
Stigma and Health: Volume 1, Issue 1