Representations of celebrities’ weight and shape during pregnancy and postpartum: A content analysis of three entertainment magazine websites

Abstract

Entertainment magazine websites provide a continuous stream of celebrity news accessed by over 13 million unique viewers each month. Celebrities’ experiences of pregnancy and new motherhood appear to be popular topics within these media outlets; however, little research has investigated the content of this coverage. In this study, investigators coded articles (N = 387) published between August 1, 2007 and August 1, 2008 on three popular entertainment magazine websites. Relatively few articles about celebrities’ pregnancies discussed weight (13%) or shape (30%), and an even smaller proportion (6.2%) included any discussion of postpartum body dissatisfaction. This suggests a gap between portrayal of celebrities’ pregnancies and postpartum experiences and those of non-celebrity women. This disparity is concerning as it might lead to unrealistic expectations about pregnancy and postpartum for both pregnant readers and a more general audience. This study provides important initial information about the messages these media provide regarding pregnancy-related appearance.

Higher Facebook use predicts greater body image dissatisfaction during pregnancy: The role of self-comparison

“…Pregnancy is also increasingly carried out in the public spotlight, with increased focus in the media and news stories (Fox et al 2009). Growing numbers of entertainment websites and online news stories now discuss changes in celebrity weight and appearance at this time (Gow et al 2012). The increased use of social media may enhance exposure to this as social media is checked more frequently than print media (Galarneau, 2009).…”

Imagem corporal, atitudes alimentares, sintomas depressivos, autoestima e ansiedade em gestantes de Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brasil

“…The body image of pregnant women has attracted the attention of today's researchers, especially internationally [11][12][13][14][15] . Authors have agreed to define this construct as the mental representation of the body 16,17 .…”

Shapes of motherhood: exploring postnatal body image through photographs

“…Yet, as O'Brien Hallstein (2011, p. 117) has observed, it is no longer acceptable for celebrities to 'just' have 'fit' postpartum bodies -they must engage in a range of body projects (exercising, dieting, breastfeeding) in order to '"bounce back" more quickly to a new, even better body'. Photographs typically accompany articles about celebrity postpartum weight loss in tabloid magazines, and such images reinforce the view that there is an 'ideal' postpartum body type/shape (see Gow et al 2012, p. 174, Us 2012. For example, the endless cycle of images of celebrity mothers 'debuting' their postpartum bodies in bikinis communicates a message not only about slenderness and discipline, but also of 'sexiness' (O'Brien Hallstein 2011, p. 123).…”