Obesity social stigma in television explained

The social stigma of obesity, can be defined as the systemic oppression of and discrimination against people who may be considered overweight, obese, or fat.[1] [2] Fatphobia exists in many forms and presents itself in both institutional and interpersonal circumstances.[3] [4] According to numerous academics, fatphobia or general anti-fat bias is common and pervasive. Fatphobia negatively impacts the attitudes and behaviours of individuals towards those considered to be overweight or obese. Employment, relationships, and medical care are some facets of daily living that are all known to be negatively impacted by fat-phobic rhetoric or anti-fat assumptions.[5] [6] [7] Fatphobia is produced and spread in many ways, including through advertising and popular media such as television shows.[8] [9] According to a number of scholars, television shows in North America both underrepresent and misrepresent fat people which (re)produces fatphobic rhetoric[10] [11] [12]

Lack of representation

A number of studies conducted from 1980 and onwards have found that thin people are generally overrepresented in North American television shows, and fat or overweight people are generally underrepresented in North American television shows.[13] This phenomenon is commonly attributed to what some refer to as the “thin ideal”.[14] Some scholars explain the thin ideal as a societal preference for thin bodies, and consequently a societal aversion to larger bodies. Scholars note that the "thin ideal" most commonly impacts women, but does impact men as well. A study conducted in 1980 found that only a small portion of actors on prime-time television shows were fat or overweight, while the majority were either thin or “average” sized. This study found that 12% of actors represented in prime-time television shows in 1980 were considered fat or overweight, with a majority of that percentage being fat or overweight men and a minority of that percentage being fat or overweight women. A 2003 study found similar results, and stated that both fat or overweight women and men were underrepresented in prime-time television shows. According to this study, overweight or fat women accounted for 14% of actors on prime-time television shows, while overweight or fat men accounted for 24% of actors on prime-time television shows. It has been noted that these percentages are not representative of the obesity rates in North America. As of 2009, overweight or obese people accounted for 67% of the American population.

Negative Stereotypes

Studies have found that when individuals considered to be overweight, obese, or fat are present within television shows, their characters are often portrayed through the use of negative stereotypes. Some scholars suggest that negative stereotypes of fat or overweight people within television shows results in those same stereotypes being attributed to fat or overweight people in real life. Joan C. Chrisler and Angela Barney suggest that negative stereotypes within the media even impacts the attitudes of health care professionals when dealing with overweight or obese patients.[15] Common stereotypes of fat people portrayed within television shows include those related to gluttony, insecurity, laziness, sexual undesirability, unattractiveness, and more[16] [17] [18]

Notes and References

  1. Prohaska. Ariane. Gailey. Jeannine A.. 2018-10-25. Theorizing fat oppression: Intersectional approaches and methodological innovations. Fat Studies. 8. 1. 2. 10.1080/21604851.2019.1534469. 158153539 . 2160-4851.
  2. Himes. Susan M.. Thompson. J. Kevin. 2007. Fat Stigmatization in Television Shows and Movies: A Content Analysis. Obesity. 15. 3. 712–718. 10.1038/oby.2007.635. 17372322 . 1930-7381.
  3. Book: Farrell, Amy. Fat Shame: Stigma and the Fat Body in American Culture. NYU Press. 2011. 151.
  4. Munro. Lauren. 2017. Everyday Indignities: Using the Microaggressions Framework to Understand Weight Stigma. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics. 45. 4. 504. 10.1177/1073110517750584. 80191097 . 1073-1105.
  5. Chrisler. Joan C.. Barney. Angela. 2017-01-02. Sizeism is a health hazard. Fat Studies. 6. 1. 41. 10.1080/21604851.2016.1213066. 79367370 . 2160-4851.
  6. Rudolph. Cort W.. Wells. Charles L.. Weller. Marcus D.. Baltes. Boris B.. 2009-02-01. A meta-analysis of empirical studies of weight-based bias in the workplace. Journal of Vocational Behavior. en. 74. 1. 1–10. 10.1016/j.jvb.2008.09.008. 0001-8791.
  7. Eisenberg. Marla E.. Neumark-Sztainer. Dianne. Story. Mary. 2003-08-01. Associations of Weight-Based Teasing and Emotional Well-being Among Adolescents. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. en. 157. 8. 733–738. 10.1001/archpedi.157.8.733. 12912777 . 1072-4710.
  8. Lupton. Deborah. 2017-05-04. Digital media and body weight, shape, and size: An introduction and review. Fat Studies. 6. 2. 119–134. 10.1080/21604851.2017.1243392. 151356178 . 2160-4851.
  9. Aubrey. Jennifer Stevens. Peters. Sara. 2010. A fat diet of the thin ideal: Investigating relations between exposure to the thin ideal and television viewers' attitudes toward overweight people off screen. Journal of Health & Mass Communication. 2. 7. Research gate.
  10. Lupton. Deborah. 2016-11-15. Digital media and body weight, shape, and size: An introduction and review. Fat Studies. 6. 2. 120. 10.1080/21604851.2017.1243392. 151356178 . 2160-4851.
  11. Fikkan. Janna L.. Rothblum. Esther D.. 2012. Is Fat a Feminist Issue? Exploring the Gendered Nature of Weight Bias. Sex Roles. en. 66. 9–10. 585. 10.1007/s11199-011-0022-5. 255013466 . 0360-0025.
  12. Aubrey. Jennifer Stevens. Peters. Sara. 2010. A fat diet of the thin ideal: Investigating relations between exposure to the thin ideal and television viewers' attitudes toward overweight people off screen. Journal of Health & Mass Communication. 2. 8. Research gate.
  13. Fikkan. Janna L.. Rothblum. Esther D.. 2012. Is Fat a Feminist Issue? Exploring the Gendered Nature of Weight Bias. Sex Roles. en. 66. 9–10. 584. 10.1007/s11199-011-0022-5. 255013466 . 0360-0025.
  14. Book: Farrell, Amy. Fat Shame: Stigma and the Fat Body in American Culture. NYU Press. 2011. 72.
  15. Chrisler. Joan C.. Barney. Angela. 2017-01-02. Sizeism is a health hazard. Fat Studies. en. 6. 1. 39. 10.1080/21604851.2016.1213066. 79367370 . 2160-4851.
  16. Gullage. Amy. 2014-03-04. Fat Monica, Fat Suits, and Friends. Feminist Media Studies. 14. 2. 179. 10.1080/14680777.2012.724026. 142641208 . 1468-0777.
  17. Gullage. Amy. 2014-03-04. Fat Monica, Fat Suits, and Friends. Feminist Media Studies. 14. 2. 180. 10.1080/14680777.2012.724026. 142641208 . 1468-0777.
  18. Cameron. Layla. 2019-09-02. The "good fatty" is a dancing fatty: Fat archetypes in reality television. Fat Studies. 8. 3. 259–278. 10.1080/21604851.2019.1549400. 158324193 . 2160-4851.

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