Escalating Coverage of Obesity in UK Newspapers: The Evolution and Framing of the “Obesity Epidemic” From 1996 to 2010

Abstract

Obesity is one of the fastest growing and most serious public health challenges facing the world in the 21st century. Correspondingly, over the past decade there has been increased interest in how the obesity epidemic has been framed by the media. This study offers the first large-scale examination of the evolution and framing of the obesity epidemic in UK newspapers, identifying shifts in news coverage about the causal drivers of and potential solutions to the obesity epidemic. Seven UK newspapers were selected and 2,414 articles published between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 2010 were retrieved from electronic databases using keyword searches. The thematic content of articles was examined using manifest content analysis. Over the 15-year period there was an increase in media reporting on obesity and in particular on childhood obesity. There was evidence of a trend away from a focus on individuals towards a greater level of reporting on societal solutions such as regulatory change, with the greatest shift in reporting occurring in mid-market and serious newspapers. Given that the media have a huge influence in shaping public opinion, this shift in reporting might be an early indicator to policymakers of a growing public discourse around a need for regulatory change to tackle the obesogenic environment.

Mediating the spaces of diet and health: A critical analysis of reporting on nutrition and colorectal cancer in the UK

“…This supports previous research which has shown that when reporting cancer research and research into diet--related conditions such as cardio--vascular disease and obesity, media coverage tends to focus responsibility disproportionately on the individual rather than framing the issue as the responsibility of the state or civil society (Lawrence, 2004, Hilton et al 2012, Hellyer and Haddock--Fraser 2011, Clarke and Everest 2006. In addition a health geography perspective was lacking in the coverage of this research despite the volume of work linking place and space to health (Kearns, 1993;Brown and Duncan, 2002;Cummins et al 2007) and evidence showing a differentiation in bowel cancer incidence between northern and southern parts of the UK (Cancer Research UK, 2016) as well as a small association between deprivation and incidence of bowel cancer for men (Cancer Research UK, 2016).…”

“…I seek to extend this argument by applying this concept of geographies of responsibility to the way responsibility for diet is placed and framed in newspaper coverage of nutrition research into bowel cancer and by examining whether the UK news media reinforces an individualistic approach in its coverage of diet--related cancer prevention research. This has already been shown to be the case for obesity, type--2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, where media coverage has been shown to focus responsibility for these diet--related conditions disproportionately on the individual rather than framing the issue as the responsibility of the state, industry or civil society (Lawrence, 2004, Hellyer and Haddock--Fraser 2011, Hilton et al 2012. Similarly, research into media coverage of cancer also identified frequent and overt individualistic framing of cancer as opposed to offering a community perspective Everest, 2006, Clarke andvan Amerom 2008).…”

Disability Discrimination and Obesity: The Big Questions?

“…Various reasons for the widespread reporting obesity stigma and discrimination have been offered. However, a constantly cited vehicle is media portrayal with increasing evidence to demonstrate that obese people are the target of fat jokes and derogatory portrayals [22][23][24][25][26][27][28].…”

The portrayal of obesity in U.K. national newspapers.

“…Major newspapers from the USA, UK and Canada were found to portray lifestyle as the main cause of obesity, suggesting roles for the government, industry and the individual in addressing the epidemic (Ries, Rachul, & Caulfield, 2010). Hilton, Patterson, and Teyhan (2012) also examined UK newspaper portrayal of obesity over a 15 year period from 1996 to 2010. They identified that reports relating to obesity increased over time, that since 2001 they were more likely to be focused on childhood obesity, that portrayals were more likely to report on causal that non-causal factors, and, that a high proportion commented on solutions for obesity.…”