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A content analysis of weight stigmatization in popular television programming for adolescents
Author(s) -
Eisenberg Marla E.,
CarlsonMcGuire Ashley,
Gollust Sarah E.,
NeumarkSztainer Dianne
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/eat.22348
Subject(s) - stigma (botany) , psychology , overweight , weight stigma , population , media use , weight loss , obesity , social psychology , developmental psychology , demography , medicine , psychiatry , sociology
ABSTRACT Objective This study provides updated information regarding the prevalence and characteristics of weight stigma in popular adolescent television programming, using a sample of favorite shows named by diverse adolescents. Method Participants in a large, population‐based study of Minnesota adolescents ( N  = 2,793, mean age = 14.4) listed their top three favorite television shows. A coding instrument was developed to analyze randomly selected episodes from the most popular 10 programs. Weight‐stigmatizing incidents were compared across television show characteristics and characters' gender and weight status. Results Half (50%) of the 30 episodes analyzed contained at least one weight‐stigmatizing incident. Both youth‐ and adult‐targeted shows contained weight‐stigmatizing comments, but the percent of these comments was much higher for youth‐targeted (55.6%) than general audience‐targeted shows (8.3%). Male characters were more likely than females to engage in (72.7% vs. 27.3%), and be the targets of, weight stigma (63.6% vs. 36.4%), and there was no difference in the amount of weight stigmatizing directed at average weight females compared to overweight females. Targets of these instances showed a negative response in only about one‐third of cases, but audience laughter followed 40.9% of cases. Discussion The portrayal of weight stigmatization on popular television shows—including targeting women of average weight—sends signals to adolescents about the wide acceptability of this behavior and the expected response, which may be harmful. Prevention of weight stigmatization should take a multi‐faceted approach and include the media. Future research should explore the impact that weight‐related stigma in television content has on viewers. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, (Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2015; 48:759–766)

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