Obesity in the news: directions for future research

Obesity Reviews : an Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity
D AtanasovaB Gunter

Abstract

Obesity attracts large volumes of news coverage. This in turn has spawned academic studies investigating how news framing may affect views about causes of and solutions to obesity. We use key studies to demonstrate that although existing research has made valuable discoveries about how obesity is defined in various media outlets, some methodological and theoretical questions remain unaddressed. We argue that extant research has focused on one dimension of analysis--the problematization of obesity in news stories--precluding insights into the entire process of obesity communication. Drawing on framing and media studies research, we propose a multidimensional approach to shed more light on factors affecting the production of obesity news stories by journalists and how they may be received by audience members. Ways of moving research into this multidimensional direction are proposed, including analysis of journalistic news values, political leaning and style of media outlets, emotion-eliciting language, readers' comments and obesity-related news visuals. Knowledge resulting from the exploration of these dimensions of the issue of obesity can be used to improve strategies to inform and engage audience members.

References

Jul 21, 2005·Australia and New Zealand Health Policy·S A NathanA B Zwi
Feb 24, 2007·Obesity Reviews : an Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity·T Boyce
Jun 15, 2007·Journal of Health Communication·Sei-Hill Kim, L Anne Willis
Oct 17, 2007·The Medical Journal of Australia·Catriona M F BonfiglioliSimon J Holding
Jan 8, 2010·Obesity Facts·Anja Hilbert, Jens Ried
Dec 25, 2010·Journal of Health Communication·Kimberly J McClureChelsea A Heuer
Dec 25, 2010·Health Communication·Helene A Shugart
Apr 6, 2011·Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health·Amber Bastian
May 5, 2011·Journal of Health Communication·Chelsea A HeuerRebecca M Puhl
Jun 22, 2011·Pediatrics·Colleen L BarrySarah E Gollust

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Citations

Jun 26, 2013·American Journal of Preventive Medicine·Rebecca PuhlJamie Lee Peterson
May 11, 2013·Obesity Reviews : an Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity·H A Shugart
Nov 14, 2015·Sociology of Health & Illness·Lucy C FarrellJackie M Street
Jul 22, 2017·Obesity Reviews : an Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity·E Robinson
May 22, 2016·Health·Dimitrinka Atanasova, Nelya Koteyko
Sep 3, 2018·ANZ Journal of Surgery·Jamie-Lee RahiriAndrew G Hill
Mar 21, 2020·BMC Public Health·Samantha RowbothamPenelope Hawe

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