Weighing both sides: morality, mortality, and framing contests over obesity

Area of Science:

• Sociology of Health & Medicine
• Public Health Discourse Analysis

Background:

• The concept of an "obesity epidemic" in the U.S. is scientifically and socially contested.
• Media attention has increased, yet the nature of excess body weight remains a subject of controversy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically examine the claims and claimants in the contemporary obesity debate.
• To analyze framing contests over the nature and consequences of excess body weight.

Main Methods:

• Systematic examination of claims and claimants in the obesity controversy.
• Analysis of framing strategies employed by different advocacy groups.

Main Results:

• Four primary groups (antiobesity researchers/activists, fat acceptance researchers/activists) engage in framing contests.
• Frames include body diversity versus risky behavior, with obesity sometimes framed as an illness.
• Fat acceptance movement leverages activism resources to influence public health.

Conclusions:

• Morality significantly influences the obesity controversy and medical disputes.
• Medical arguments about body weight can be used to challenge rights claims and justify fears.