There’s new research from Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity on public health “anti-obesity” campaigns. Now we have proof that campaigns that stigmatize the very people they say they’re trying to help, are least motivating and get the most negative ratings. Here’s what the study found.
“Participants responded most favorably to messages involving themes of increased fruit and vegetable consumption, and general messages involving multiple health behaviors. Messages that have been publicly criticized for their stigmatizing content received the most negative ratings and the lowest intentions to comply with message content. Furthermore, messages that were perceived to be most positive and motivating made no mention of the word ‘obesity’ at all, and instead focused on making healthy behavioral changes without reference to body weight.”
YES!!!! The tide is beginning to turn toward health vs. dieting and weight-focus…slowly, but we are seeing more and more proof that it is, in fact, turning!
Read the study Abstract in the International Journal of Obesity .
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Ellen Shuman is a Life Coach who specializes in empowering people who are working on emotional and binge eating recovery. She is the founder of A Weigh Out & Acoria Eating Disorder Treatment, President of the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA), and Co-Founder of the Academy for Eating Disorders Special Interest Group on “Health at Every Size”, ellen@aweighout.com
