The portrayal of obesity in UK national newspapers

FLINT, Stuart, HUDSON, Joanne and LAVALLEE, David (2015). The portrayal of obesity in UK national newspapers. Stigma and Health, 1 (1), 16-28.

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Abstract

Obesity is a major medical health challenge; however, the associated stigma represents a harmful and obstructive obstacle to treatment. This study’s purpose was to explore the portrayal of obesity in U.K. national newspapers. A purposive sample of 312 editions (weekday: n = 208; weekend: n = 104) from 6 newspapers (3 broadsheet; 3 tabloid) was analyzed. All text related to obesity was content analyzed. In total, 349 articles were analyzed. Weight stigmatization and the portrayal of overweight and obesity as a moral digression were evident. Findings demonstrate that U.K. national newspapers attribute obesity to controllable causes. Caricatured portrayals of overweight and obesity were evident and may play a pivotal role in the formation and maintenance of antiobesity attitudes.

Item Type:	Article
Research Institute, Centre or Group - Does NOT include content added after October 2018:	Centre for Sport and Exercise Science
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000013
Page Range:	16-28
Depositing User:	Alison Beswick
Date Deposited:	04 Feb 2016 12:08
Last Modified:	18 Mar 2021 16:09
URI:	https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/10874

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