Northampton Electronic Collection of Theses and Research

From theory to policy: reducing harms associated with the weight-centered health paradigm

O'Reilly, C. and Sixsmith, J. (2012) From theory to policy: reducing harms associated with the weight-centered health paradigm. Fat Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Body Weight and Society. 1(1), pp. 97-113. 2160-4851.

Item Type: Article
Abstract: This article provides an overview of harms associated with public policy promotion of the weight-centered health paradigm and suggests that a shift away from weight-centered health policies is required. Given the evidence about the negative health implications of weight-centric health policies, the objectives are to explore why public policy officials uncritically rely on and promote the weight-centered health paradigm and to propose policy alternatives. Based on findings from discourse analysis of “obesity”-related policy documents, public health policy solutions to the weight-centered health paradigm are proposed and analyzed, drawing from ten key informant interviews with stakeholders working within the policy, academic, and medical contexts.
Uncontrolled Keywords: public policy, public health, weight-centered health paradigm, health at every size
Subjects: 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 > RA421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC628 Obesity
Creators: O'Reilly, Caitlin and Sixsmith, Judith
Publisher: Routledge
Northamptonshire and East Midlands: Health
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes: University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Faculty of Health & Society
Date: 19 January 2012
Date Type: Publication
Page Range: pp. 97-113
Journal or Publication Title: Fat Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Body Weight and Society
Volume: 1
Number: 1
Language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21604851.2012.627792
ISSN: 2160-4851
Status: Published / Disseminated
URI: http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/6500

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