Overweight & Obesity Study
Findings reveal that despite the fact that
the majority of Americans are either overweight or obese, there is a stigma
attached to both conditions.
Overweight & Obesity Study
Researchers at Michigan State University surveyed the distribution of
body types portrayed in prime time television on six commercial broadcast
networks, their behavior, appearance and personality, among other factors.
The results showed that out of 1,018 major television characters from
56 different series, only three out of every 100 females were obese, compared
to one out of every four in the real world. And while only five percent
of the female and two percent of the male population is underweight, 36
percent of females and 12 percent of males on television had an underweight
body type. Moreover, overweight male and overweight female television
characters were less likely than their average weight counterparts to
have romantic partners and friends and were more likely to be the object
of ridicule, humor and to be shown eating.
Overweight & Obesity Research
Researchers at Yale University investigated whether anti-fat bias exists
among health professionals who treat obese patients. Eighty-four health
professionals who treat obesity were assessed and asked to classify words
according to their association with "Fat People" vs. "Thin
People" as well as categorize words as "Good vs. Bad" and
"Motivated vs. Lazy." The researchers discovered that even health
care professionals have strong negative associations toward obese persons,
though the bias was not as strong as among the general population. The
fact that bias shows up even among professionals dedicated to helping
people with obesity, shows just how powerful and pervasive it is.
Source: Press Release: North American Association
For The Study Of Obesity 2001
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