Weight-centred approaches to health: harms and solutions

Sixsmith, J. and O'Reilly, C. (2014) Weight-centred approaches to health: harms and solutions. Invited Presentation presented to: 10th Annual Midlands Health Psychology Network Conference, ‘Ten years of MHPN: Looking Back and Moving Forward', The University of Northampton, 20 February 2014. (Unpublished)

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Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Invited Presentation)
Abstract:	Background and aims: Past research has suggested that weight centred approaches to health (ie those that presume higher weights lead to poor health outcomes and advocate for the pursuit of weight loss) may lead to negative health outcomes such as eating disorders, mental health problems, harms from weight cycling and social stigmatisation. This paper analyses academic articles and documents in the context of Canadian Health Policy concerning weight and weight loss in order to reveal the dominant discourses that perpetuate weight centred approaches. Method: Five British Columbian obesity reduction policy documents were identified and discourse analysed in terms of textual analysis, discursive analysis and social practice analysis. Results: Discourses identified concerned 1) scare-mongering which emphasised the magnifies negative health consequences of overweight and obesity and 2) warfare in which the language of war against obesity (with all the aggressiveness that this entails) was evident. In addition, the warranting of claims concerning negative health consequences of overweight and obesity were poorly evidenced. Conclusion: This paper argues, in line with more recent evidence, that such discourses frame overweight and obesity as inherently unhealthy and obscures the notion that intentional weight loss is difficult to sustain and that health can be improved regardless of weight loss. The paper concludes with an analysis of the concept and potential benefits of ‘Health at Every Size’.
Subjects:	R Medicine > R Medicine (General) > R726.7 Health psychology R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA643 Disease (Communicable and non-infectious) and public health > RA645.O23 Obesity R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA773 Personal health and hygiene R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC628 Obesity
Creators:	Sixsmith, Judith and O'Reilly, Caitlin
Northamptonshire and East Midlands:	Health
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes:	University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Faculty of Health & Society University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Research Centre > Institute of Health and Wellbeing Research Centres > Centre for Health Sciences and Services
Date:	20 February 2014
Date Type:	Presentation
Event Title:	10th Annual Midlands Health Psychology Network Conference, ‘Ten years of MHPN: Looking Back and Moving Forward'
Event Dates:	20 February 2014
Event Location:	The University of Northampton
Event Type:	Conference
Language:	English
Status:	Unpublished
URI:	http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/6484

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