Obese Adults’ Perceptions of News Reporting on Obesity

Abstract

News reporting, in channels such as broadcast and print media, on obesity as an issue has increased dramatically in the last decade. A qualitative study, in which we used in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, was undertaken to explore 142 obese individuals' perceptions of, and responses to, news reporting about obesity. Participants believed that news reporting on obesity focused on personal responsibility and blame, and portrayed obese people as "freaks." They described being portrayed as "enemies" of society who were rarely given a voice or identity in such news coverage unless they were seen to be succeeding at weight loss. They were also critical of the simplistic coverage of obesity, which was in contrast with their personal experiences of obesity as complex and difficult to address. Participants believed that obesity news reporting added to the discrimination they experienced. We consider how this news reporting may act as a form of "synoptical" social control, working in tandem with wider public health panoptical surveillance of obesity.

Men’s weight loss stories: How personal confession, responsibility and transformation work as social control

“…A strength of the study is that the men’s weight loss stories were collected from 4 years so that a complete sample was analysed. This article builds upon previous theoretical and empirical works which have considered the panopticon/synopticon dyad (Couch et al, 2015a, 2015b, 2016, 2017; Doyle, 2011; Mathiesen, 1997, 2004) and extends the synopticon and panopticon by examining a specific story type within the system . While the study considers the stories within a wider system of mediated weight-related content, it does not examine the data surrounding the stories – the advertisements and other editorial that was contained with the magazine.…”

“…In this way, the weight loss stories we have examined are one part of a larger system of messages around body weight so that audiences experience multiple messages about acceptable and unacceptable body weight. This includes the visual exclusion of obese people’s identity (Cooper, 2007), stigmatising media imagery of obese people (Heuer et al, 2011; McClure et al, 2010), sensationalist news stories about the problem of obesity (Holland et al, 2011; Couch 2015a), online reader comments in response to obesity news reporting (Farrell et al, 2015), online weight loss forums (Bennett and Gough, 2012), the valorisation of the thin ideal (Couch et al, 2016) and advertising of weight loss and body maintenance products and services (Cleland et al, 2002).…”

“…The importance of weight loss for improved health, appearance and social outcomes and the efforts and methods to achieve weight loss are also common topics of entertainment and reality television, for example, programmes such as The Biggest Loser and Embarrassing Fat Bodies . The news media report on obesity as an epidemic, along with the social and personal risks of obesity and the benefits of weight loss (see, for example, Couch et al, 2015a; Boero, 2007; Saguy and Almeling, 2008; Shugart, 2011), and there are public health campaigns which provide information about healthy weight and the health risks of overweight and obesity.…”

“…Despite these varied criticisms, our previous work examined a sample of men’s media-based weight loss stories and found these stories presented weight loss as requiring sustained effort over longer periods of time and with the weight loss practices generally aligned with evidence-based recommendations (Couch et al, 2014). Additionally, obese people’s responses to media portrayals of weight loss are nuanced; some find coverage of weight loss unrealistic, whereas others find the journeys and struggles which can be portrayed through success stories as positive and motivating and something they are able to identify with (Couch et al, 2015a).…”

The role of internalised weight stigma and self‐compassion in the psychological well‐being of overweight and obese women

“…Results indicated that a greater number of negative versus positive images of overweight persons were found, and 72% of images that portrayed an individual with overweight or obesity were stigmatising (e.g., “portrayed as overweight/obese person eating/drinking an unhealthy food/drink”). A further study conducted in Australia sought to investigate the perceptions of 142 obese individuals towards obesity news reporting (Couch, Thomas, Lewis, Blood, & Komesaroff, ). The majority of participants ( N = 122) believed news coverage was “superficial,” “unrealistic,” “inaccurate,” “unfair,” or “unhelpful”; conveyed personal blame and undesirability; and were considered dehumanising and stigmatising among participants.…”