OBJECTIVE: The media often contain weight-stigmatizing material. However, little is known about pregnant and postpartum women's experiences with media-based weight stigma. METHODS: Two studies investigated weight stigma in the media from multiple perspectives. Study 1 analyzed open-response examples of weight-stigmatizing experiences coming from the media, broadly defined, from 123 pregnant and postpartum women (from a larger sample of 501). Study 2 identified online news-media articles about pregnancy and weight published during the study 1 data collection period (August to November 2017). RESULTS: Study 1 revealed that weight stigma was common and frequent in media, manifesting across three themes: (1) ideal appearance of pregnant bodies, (2) pressure to quickly "bounce back" after birth to a prepregnancy appearance, and (3) media praising celebrities for achieving either of the previous themes. Study 2 identified 33 articles. A content analysis revealed that women with overweight or obesity were rarely portrayed in images. Additionally, discussion of weight was often negative, focusing on adverse maternal-child health consequences. Finally, media-communicated ideals for weight and weight loss were often unrealistic and did not reference medical guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: This work is the first to document that online news media are a pervasive and potentially distressing source of pregnancy-related weight stigma, suggesting much-needed reform in media guidelines.
OBJECTIVE: The media often contain weight-stigmatizing material. However, little is known about pregnant and postpartum women's experiences with media-based weight stigma. METHODS: Two studies investigated weight stigma in the media from multiple perspectives. Study 1 analyzed open-response examples of weight-stigmatizing experiences coming from the media, broadly defined, from 123 pregnant and postpartum women (from a larger sample of 501). Study 2 identified online news-media articles about pregnancy and weight published during the study 1 data collection period (August to November 2017). RESULTS: Study 1 revealed that weight stigma was common and frequent in media, manifesting across three themes: (1) ideal appearance of pregnant bodies, (2) pressure to quickly "bounce back" after birth to a prepregnancy appearance, and (3) media praising celebrities for achieving either of the previous themes. Study 2 identified 33 articles. A content analysis revealed that women with overweight or obesity were rarely portrayed in images. Additionally, discussion of weight was often negative, focusing on adverse maternal-child health consequences. Finally, media-communicated ideals for weight and weight loss were often unrealistic and did not reference medical guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: This work is the first to document that online news media are a pervasive and potentially distressing source of pregnancy-related weight stigma, suggesting much-needed reform in media guidelines.
Authors: James Kite; Bo-Huei Huang; Yvonne Laird; Anne Grunseit; Bronwyn McGill; Kathryn Williams; Bill Bellew; Margaret Thomas Journal: EClinicalMedicine Date: 2022-05-20
Authors: Taniya S Nagpal; Ximena Ramos Salas; Michael Vallis; Helena Piccinini-Vallis; Angela S Alberga; Rhonda C Bell; Danilo F da Silva; Margie H Davenport; Laura Gaudet; Angela C Incollingo Rodriguez; Rebecca H Liu; Maxine Myre; Kara Nerenberg; Sarah Nutter; Shelly Russell-Mayhew; Sara C S Souza; Candace Vilhan; Kristi B Adamo Journal: BMC Pregnancy Childbirth Date: 2022-07-29 Impact factor: 3.105