Differences by degree: Fatness, contagion and pre-emption

Brown, Tim

doi:10.1177/1363459313480971

Cited by 10 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…The notion of obesity being spread through a contagious social network has been considered both provocative and controversial and the authors' findings were reported on in many newspapers with claims that 'obesity was contagious' and that it was important to 'pick your friends carefully'. As Brown (2013) argues, the contagion metaphor has been particularly strong in UK newspapers with one commentary suggesting 'Obesity is socially contagious with people who have an overweight friend facing a dramatically increased risk of becoming similarly fat'. Whilst many have questioned the contagion metaphor and highlighted that their argument overlooks the idea that obesity is spread through other, material and psychosocial pathways (not least, the obesogenic environment, Foresight Programme 2007), others have commented positively on the ideas of Christakis and Fowler (2007).…”

Section: Social Network and Obesitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This work has been the focus of considerable critical attention in relation to the argument that ‘obesity may spread in social networks in a quantifiable and discernible pattern that depends on the nature of social ties’ (Christakis and Fowler : 377). Many of their propositions – such as the notion that obesity may no longer be a highly stigmatised condition – have been questioned (Brown , Rich et al . ) and there are competing explanations for the social patterning of overweight and obesity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This work has been the focus of considerable critical attention in relation to the argument that 'obesity may spread in social networks in a quantifiable and discernible pattern that depends on the nature of social ties' (Christakis and Fowler 2007: 377). Many of their propositionssuch as the notion that obesity may no longer be a highly stigmatised conditionhave been questioned (Brown 2013, Rich et al 2015 and there are competing explanations for the social patterning of overweight and obesity. These include, for example, the role of classed social practices, the over-supply of fast food outlets in areas of material disadvantage or the operation of latent classed attitudes (Bissell et al 2016, Foresight Programme 2007, McLaren 2007, Pampel 2012.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Introducing the idea of ‘assumed shared food narratives’ in the context of social networks: reflections from a qualitative study conducted in Nottingham, England

Bissell

Peacock

Holdsworth

et al. 2018

Sociology Health & Illness

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This study explores the ways in which social networks might shape accounts about food practices. Drawing on insights from the work of Christakis and Fowler () whose claims about the linkages between obesity and social networks have been the subject of vigorous debate in the sociological literature, we present qualitative data from a study of women's' accounts of social networks and food practices, conducted in Nottingham, England. We tentatively suggest that whilst social networks in their broadest sense, might shape what was perceived to be normal and acceptable in relation to food practices (and provide everyday discursive resources which normalise practice), the relationship between the two is more complex than the linear relationship proposed by Christakis and Fowler. Here, we introduce the idea of assumed shared food narratives (ASFNs), which, we propose, sheds light on motive talk about food practices, and which also provide practical and discursive resources to actors seeking to protect and defend against 'untoward' behaviour, in the context of public health messages around food and eating. We suggest that understanding ASFNs and the ways in which they are embedded in social networks represents a novel way of understanding food and eating practices from a sociological perspective.

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Section: Social Network and Obesitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Introducing the idea of ‘assumed shared food narratives’ in the context of social networks: reflections from a qualitative study conducted in Nottingham, England

Bissell

Peacock

Holdsworth

et al. 2018

Sociology Health & Illness

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…argued that it is important to consider the effects this "obesity epidemic" has in terms of what types of practices, interventions or policies it promotes. T. Brown (2014) discussed the increase of stigma associated with use of disease metaphors for the "spread" of fatness, saying that using words such as contagion, disease and epidemic perpetuate the pathologisation of the large body.…”

Section: Production Of Weight Stigma Through Discoursementioning

confidence: 99%

“…M. Phelan et al, 2015) or 3) macro-social and political elements (e.g., T. Brown, 2014; C. Cooper, 1997;Howell & Ingham, 2001;Lupton, 2004;Rich & Evans, 2005). I have demonstrated intricacies of weight stigma that have arguably lacked consideration in the past.…”

Section: Relevance To Other Health Professionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weight stigma in health: (re)thinking weight in a physiotherapy context

Setchell¹

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The physiotherapy profession increasingly considers weight management to be part of its scope of practice. Ostensibly this may seem like a good idea: popular media and biomedical discourses highlight a global "obesity epidemic", and physiotherapists, considered "experts in movement", may be well placed to help address obesity by encouraging activity. On the other hand, an excessive focus on weight can have negative consequences. A large body of research now highlights negative attitudes towards those who are overweight (weight stigma) among health professionals, including doctors, nurses, dieticians, psychologists and exercise scientists. Yet, despite the size and impact of the profession, there has been little work exploring weight stigma in the context of physiotherapy.My aims are two-fold. First, I investigate weight-related interactions in physiotherapy, and second, I investigate how weight might be (re)thought in this context. The first three thesis chapters provide a theoretical exploration of concepts relevant to weight in physiotherapy. In the introductory chapter I argue that it is helpful to draw from scholarship in critical psychology and the emerging field of critical physiotherapy. In Chapter 2 I consider traditional social psychological theories that provide a social and embodied understanding of weight stigma. However, I outline how these theories are notably apolitical, acultural, ahistorical and lack mechanisms for understanding power in stigma. To address this issue, I introduce post-structuralist perspectives (particularly those of Michel Foucault) that are often used in critical social science. Using a poststructural psychological lens, I critically examine the literature on weight and its associated stigma.As context specific understandings are desirable, I use Chapter 3 to examine the nature of the physiotherapy profession, to determine what might be relevant to "thinking weight" and considerations of stigma. Here I look in depth at this profession, discussing where power, the body, reflexivity and the profession's ontological underpinnings might be relevant to weight-related physiotherapy interactions.In Chapter 4 I outline the empirical approaches I took to further address the aims of the thesis, and discuss their underlying assumptions. Following this, in Chapters 5 to 7 I present three empirical studies, each of which is published in peer-reviewed journals (or under review). In a previous study (described in Chapter 3) I tested weight stigma in physiotherapists using attitude tests in an online survey. I found that participating physiotherapists held explicit and implicit weight stigmatising attitudes similar to those in related professions. Building on this earlier work, Iconducted an inductive thematic analysis of interviews with patients who had experienced weightrelated interactions with physiotherapists (described in Chapter 5). Participants spoke of perceiving weight stigma in a number of elements of physiotherapy interactions, elements of the physiotherapy environment and...

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Ecological Approaches to Public Health

2017

Health Geographies

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Differences by degree: Fatness, contagion and pre-emption

Cited by 10 publications

References 43 publications

Introducing the idea of ‘assumed shared food narratives’ in the context of social networks: reflections from a qualitative study conducted in Nottingham, England

Introducing the idea of ‘assumed shared food narratives’ in the context of social networks: reflections from a qualitative study conducted in Nottingham, England

Weight stigma in health: (re)thinking weight in a physiotherapy context

Ecological Approaches to Public Health

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