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The media play a key role in promoting the thin ideal. A qualitative study, in which we used in depth interviews and thematic analysis, was undertaken to explore the attitudes of 142 obese individuals toward media portrayals of the thin ideal. Participants discussed the thin ideal as a social norm that is also supported through the exclusion of positive media portrayals of obese people. They perceived the thin ideal as an 'unhealthy' mode of social control, reflecting on their personal experiences and their concerns for others. Participants' perceptions highlighted the intersections between the thin ideal and gender, grooming and consumerism. Participants' personal responses to the thin ideal were nuanced--some were in support of the thin ideal and some were able to critically reflect and reject the thin ideal. We consider how the thin ideal may act as a form of synoptical social control, working in tandem with wider public health panoptical surveillance of body weight., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: This study explores what types of information obese individuals search for on the Internet, their motivations for seeking information and how they apply it in their daily lives., Method: In-depth telephone interviews with an Australian community sample of 142 individuals with a BMI ≥ 30 were conducted. Theoretical, purposive and strategic samplings were employed. Data were analysed using a constant comparative method., Results: Of the 142 individuals who participated in the study, 111 (78%) searched for information about weight loss or obesity. Of these, about three quarters searched for weight loss solutions. The higher the individual's weight, the more they appeared to search for weight loss solutions. Participants also searched for information about health risks associated with obesity (n = 28), how to prevent poor health outcomes (n = 30) and for peer support forums with other obese individuals (n = 25). Whilst participants visited a range of websites, including government-sponsored sites, community groups and weight loss companies, they overwhelmingly acted upon the advice given on commercial diet websites. However, safe, non-judgemental spaces such as the Fatosphere (online fat acceptance community) provided much needed solidarity and support., Conclusions: The Internet provides a convenient source of support and information for obese individuals. However, many turn to the same unsuccessful solutions online (e.g. fad dieting) they turn to in the community. Government and community organisations could draw upon some lessons learned in other consumer-driven online spaces (e.g. the Fatosphere) to provide supportive environments for obese individuals that resonate with their health and social experiences, and address their needs., (© 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Obesity stigma exists within many institutions and cultural settings. Most studies suggest that stigmatising experiences have a negative impact on individuals' health and social behaviours and outcomes. However, some studies indicate that obesity stigma can motivate individuals to lose weight. Limited research has examined weight-based stigma from the perspective of obese individuals, including their perceptions of, and responses to, the different types of weight-based stigma they face in their daily lives. This study advances knowledge about weight-based stigma by documenting how obese adults (mostly female) described the different types of obesity stigma that they faced, how they responded to this stigma, and how different types of stigma impact on health and social wellbeing. Semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted between April 2008 and March 2009 with a diverse sample of 141 obese Australian adults. Guided by Link and Phelan's (2006) categorisation of different types of discrimination, participants' experiences could be grouped into three distinct types of stigma: 1) Direct (e.g. being abused when using public transport); 2) Environmental (e.g. not being able to fit into seats on planes); and 3) Indirect (e.g. people staring at the contents of their supermarket trolley). Participants described that more subtle forms of stigma had the most impact on their health and social wellbeing. However, it was the interaction between direct, environmental and indirect stigma that created a barrier to participation in health-promoting activities. Participants rarely challenged stigma and often blamed themselves for stigmatising experiences. They also avoided situations where they perceived they would be stigmatised and constantly thought about how they could find a solution to their obesity., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To investigate obese men's health behaviors and strategies for change., Methods: Qualitative interviews with 36 men (BMI 30 and over)., Results: All men felt personally responsible for their weight gain. Sedentary lifestyles, stress, lack of worklife balance and weight-based stigma were all significant causes of weight gain and barriers to weight loss. These factors also contributed to men's unwillingness to seek help for their over-weight., Conclusion: Addressing the self-blame and stigma associated with obesity is important in developing strategies to improve the health and well-being of obese men.

Background: Previous studies of public perceptions of obesity interventions have been quantitative and based on general population surveys. This study aims to explore the opinions and attitudes of obese individuals towards population and individual interventions for obesity in Australia., Methods: Qualitative methods using in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews with a community sample of obese adults (Body Mass Index >or=30). Theoretical, purposive and strategic recruitment techniques were used to ensure a broad sample of obese individuals with different types of experiences with their obesity. Participants were asked about their attitudes towards three population based interventions (regulation, media campaigns, and public health initiatives) and three individual interventions (tailored fitness programs, commercial dieting, and gastric banding surgery), and the effectiveness of these interventions., Results: One hundred and forty two individuals (19-75 years) were interviewed. Participants strongly supported non-commercial interventions that were focused on encouraging individuals to make healthy lifestyle changes (regulation, physical activity programs, and public health initiatives). There was less support for interventions perceived to be invasive or high risk (gastric band surgery), stigmatising (media campaigns), or commercially motivated and promoting weight loss techniques (commercial diets and gastric banding surgery)., Conclusion: Obese adults support non-commercial, non-stigmatising interventions which are designed to improve lifestyles, rather than promote weight loss.

Background: We are a society that is fixated on the health consequences of 'being fat'. Public health agencies play an important role in 'alerting' people about the risks that obesity poses both to individuals and to the broader society. Quantitative studies suggest people comprehend the physical health risks involved but underestimate their own risk because they do not recognise that they are obese., Methods: This qualitative study seeks to expand on existing research by exploring obese individuals' perceptions of public health messages about risk, how they apply these messages to themselves and how their personal and social contexts and experiences may influence these perceptions. The study uses in depth interviews with a community sample of 142 obese individuals. A constant comparative method was employed to analyse the data., Results: Personal and contextual factors influenced the ways in which individuals interpreted and applied public health messages, including their own health and wellbeing and perceptions of stigma. Individuals felt that messages were overly focused on the physical rather than emotional health consequences of obesity. Many described feeling stigmatised and blamed by the simplicity of messages and the lack of realistic solutions. Participants described the need for messages that convey the risks associated with obesity while minimising possible stigmatisation of obese individuals. This included ensuring that messages recognise the complexity of obesity and focus on encouraging healthy behaviours for individuals of all sizes., Conclusion: This study is the first step in exploring the ways in which we understand how public health messages about obesity resonate with obese individuals in Australia. However, much more research--both qualitative and quantitative--is needed to enhance understanding of the impact of obesity messages on individuals.

Public responses to obesity have focused on providing standardized messages and supports to all obese individuals, but there is limited understanding of the impact of these messages on obese adults. This descriptive qualitative study using in-depth interviews and a thematic method of analysis, compares the health beliefs and behaviors of 141 Australian adults with mild to moderate (BMI 30-39.9) and severe (BMI > or = 40) obesity. Mildly obese individuals felt little need to change their health behaviors or to lose weight for health reasons. Most believed they could "lose weight" if they needed to, distanced themselves from the word obesity, and stigmatized those "fatter" than themselves. Severely obese individuals felt an urgent need to change their health behaviors, but felt powerless to do so. They blamed themselves for their weight, used stereotypical language to describe their health behaviors, and described being "at war" with their bodies. Further research, particularly about the role of stigma and stereotyping, is needed to fully understand the impact of obesity messaging on the health beliefs, behaviors, and wellbeing of obese and severely obese adults.

Objective: To develop an in-depth picture of both lived experience of obesity and the impact of socio-cultural factors on people living with obesity., Design: Qualitative methodology, utilizing in-depth semi-structured interviews with a community sample of obese adults (body mass index >or=30). Community sampling methods were supplemented with purposive sampling techniques to ensure a diverse range of individuals were included., Results: Seventy-six individuals (aged 16-72) were interviewed. Most had struggled with their weight for most of their lives (n=45). Almost all had experienced stigma and discrimination in childhood (n=36), as adolescents (n=41) or as adults (n=72). About half stated that they had been humiliated by health professionals because of their weight. Participants felt an individual responsibility to lose weight, and many tried extreme forms of dieting to do so. Participants described an increasing culture of 'blame' against people living with obesity perpetuated by media and public health messages. Eighty percent said that they hated or disliked the word obesity and would rather be called fat or overweight., Discussion and Conclusion: There are four key conclusions: (i) the experiences of obesity are diverse, but there are common themes, (ii) people living with obesity have heard the messages but find it difficult to act upon them, (iii) interventions should be tailored to address both individual and community needs and (iv) we need to rethink how to approach obesity interventions to ensure that avoid recapitulating damaging social stereotypes and exacerbating social inequalities.

Background: To explore the extent to which people living with obesity have attempted to lose weight, their attitudes towards dieting, physical exercise and weight loss solutions, why their weight loss attempts have failed, and their opinions about what would be most beneficial to them in their struggle with their weight., Method: Qualitative study, using open-ended interviews, of 76 people living with obesity in Victoria, Australia in 2006/7. Individuals with a BMI of 30 or over were recruited using articles in local newspapers, convenience sampling, and at a later stage purposive sampling techniques to diversify the sample. Data analysis was conducted by hand using a constant, comparative method to develop and test analytical categories. Data were interpreted both within team meetings and through providing research participants the chance to comment on the study findings., Results: Whilst participants repeatedly turned to commercial diets in their weight loss attempts, few had used, or were motivated to participate in physical activity. Friends or family members had introduced most individuals to weight loss techniques. Those who took part in interventions with members of their social network were more likely to report feeling accepted and supported. Participants blamed themselves for being unable to maintain their weight loss or 'stick' to diets. Whilst diets did not result in sustained weight loss, two thirds of participants felt that dieting was an effective way to lose weight., Conclusion: Individuals with obesity receive numerous instructions about what to do to address their weight, but very few are given appropriate long term guidance or support with which to follow through those instructions. Understanding the positive role of social networks may be particularly important in engaging individuals in physical activity. Public health approaches to obesity must engage and consult with those currently living with obesity, if patterns of social change are to occur.

Obesity is considered a public health concern. In Australia, there are a greater number of overweight or obese men compared with women. The media is an important source of information about body weight and weight management. We undertook a qualitative study to analyse men's weight loss stories in a popular men's magazine. Between January 2009 and December 2012, we collected 47 men's weight loss stories from the Australian edition of Men's Health magazine. We undertook thematic analysis to examine the stories. Confession, personal responsibility, appearance and transformation were key themes. The stories describe the men's self-discipline and their monitoring and tracking of their behaviours as activities which supported their weight loss. In this way, the stories promote the importance of such panoptic self-surveillance and self-discipline to the readers. We consider how such stories contribute to the wider synoptic system of media messages about body weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social marketing campaigns play a key role in responses to obesity. We examine a recent Australian obesity prevention campaign as a case study to explore public health values, and in particular consider the implications of the use of fear, risk, stigma, disgust, and personal responsibility in such campaigns. We examine the broader implications of such campaigns as forms of social control that promote certain images of body weight while problematising other body types. We consider the intended and unintended consequences of these campaigns. Responses to obesity are influenced by the political environment. The intended and unintended consequences and the political environment should be considered in the development of alternative models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore weight loss stories from 47 men collected from the Australian edition of Men's Health magazine between January 2009 and December 2012. Our analysis uses a mixed methods approach that combines thematic analysis and descriptive statistics to examine weight loss strategies against clinical practice guidelines for the management of overweight and obesity. All the stories reported the use of physical activity for weight loss and most stories detailed dietary changes for weight loss. Our findings indicate that most of the men reportedly used some form of behavioural strategies to assist them in their behaviour change efforts. The weight loss methods used were consistent with clinical practice guidelines, with the exception of some dietary practices. As narratives may assist with behaviour change, stories like those examined in this study could prove to be very useful in promoting weight loss to men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction In Australia the incidence of obesity is increasing rapidly and has become a significant public health concern. In addition to the many physical consequences of obesity many studies have reported significant mental health consequences, including major depression, mood and anxiety disorders. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between severity of obesity and perceived mental health in an Australian community sample. Methods A cross-sectional survey design was used. A total of 118 participants, aged between 19 and 75 years with a body mass index ( BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2 returned a completed questionnaire. The SF-36 Health Survey, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were used. Results After adjusting for age, gender, perceived social support and physical health quality of life, obesity was not significantly associated with mental health quality of life ( SF-36). The strongest factor influencing mental health was perceived physical health. Mediation analyses suggest that physical health mediates the relationship between obesity and mental health quality of life. Discussion Our findings support the view that physical health mediates the relationship between obesity and mental health. Public health interventions should focus on reducing the impact of obesity on physical health by encouraging participation in healthy lifestyles, which in turn, may improve mental wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of the 'obesity epidemic' in Western societies has led to an increased public gaze on obese individuals. Yet there is limited research that explores through qualitative methods the increased impact it has had on obese individuals' perceptions of self, body image and coping strategies, using their own words. This paper presents the findings of interviews with a community sample of 142 obese adults in Australia. We examined how obese individuals felt about themselves and their bodies, what influenced these feelings, and the subsequent coping strategies employed. While participants were able to identify many positive characteristics about their inner self, the vast majority used negative language to describe their physical appearance. Many participants described feelings of 'guilt', 'shame' and 'blame' associated with their weight. Coping strategies included striving for perfection in other areas of their life, social isolation, maximising aspects of their appearance and 'fat' acceptance. This study shows that, while different groups of obese adults experience, cope with and compensate for the influence of weight-based stereotyping in many different ways, they still feel an unrelenting otherness and difference associated with their weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]