Premium
The extent to which the public health ‘war on obesity’ reflects the ethical values and principles of critical health promotion: a multimedia critical discourse analysis
Author(s) -
O'Hara Lily,
Taylor Jane,
Barnes Margaret
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
health promotion journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.515
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 2201-1617
pISSN - 1036-1073
DOI - 10.1071/he15046
Subject(s) - health promotion , public health , beneficence , public relations , health policy , critical discourse analysis , autonomy , medicine , sociology , ideology , nursing , political science , law , politics
Issue addressed The discipline of health promotion is responsible for implementing strategies within weight‐related public health initiatives (WR‐PHI). It is imperative that such initiatives be subjected to critical analysis through a health promotion ethics lens to help ensure ethical health promotion practice. Methods Multimedia critical discourse analysis was used to examine the claims, values, assumptions, power relationships and ideologies within Australian WR‐PHI. The Health Promotion Values and Principles Continuum was used as a heuristic to evaluate the extent to which the WR‐PHI reflected the ethical values of critical health promotion: active participation of people in the initiative; respect for personal autonomy; beneficence; non‐maleficence; and strong evidential and theoretical basis for practice. Results Ten initiatives were analysed. There was some discourse about the need for participation of people in the WR‐PHI, but people were routinely labelled as ‘target groups’ requiring ‘intervention’. Strong evidence of a coercive and paternalistic discourse about choice was identified, with minimal attention to respect for personal autonomy. There was significant emphasis on the beneficiaries of the WR‐PHI but minimal attention to the health benefits, and nothing about the potential for harm. Discourse about the evidence of need was objectivist, and there was no discussion about the theoretical foundations of the WR‐PHI. Conclusion The WR‐PHI were not reflective of the ethical values and principles of critical health promotion.