Sociology 2259 Chapter Notes - Chapter online: Eating Disorder, Gluttony, Imposs
30 Apr 2018
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Morality and Health: News Media Constructions of Overweight and Eating Disorders:
• APA def anorexia as refusal maint body weight/ becoming “fat”, and denial gravity one’s
low body weight
• CDC def obesity among adults having BMI equal to/ greater than 30, and overweight
having BMI equal/ greater 25 but less than 30 (dif measures used adjust age under 18)
• Being heavy seen gluttony, sloth and/or stupidity, slenderness embodiment virtue
• Esp likely regarded being under personal control and reflecting one’s moral fiber
• News treat anorexia victims terrible illness beyond control, obesity caused bad individ
behav, including case kids, parental neglect
• News reports eating disorders and obesity may reinforce moral hierarchies based body
size, race and class- young, white F victims and irresp, out-of-control lower class
minorities
• Rep issues eating disorders and overweight dif depending which demographic groups
focus discussion
Theoretical perspective:
• Most times and most places, where food scarce, fat signals high rather low status-
plumpness esp prized
• Up until 20th cent, W in US and Europe strived fat- singled wealth, thin sugg illness-
didn’t reflect one’s moral character, nor individ W personally blamed being too thin
• Agricultural and indust revolutions reduced food shortages, fatness no longer reliable
sign wealth and, poor got fatter became marker lower prestige and status, those w greater
resources more ability and motivation avoid stigma fatness
• As moral condemnation lessened, maint slender body became new way americans dem
moral virtue- capable self-control, ready employability and weight man could be
conflated
• US deep-seated cult belief in self-reliance, body size esp likely be regarded under
personal control and reflecting moral fiber, despite research sugg much variation body
size bio det- thinness cult value in contemp US
• Stereotypes fat ppl gluttonous and undisciplined echo sim stereotypes working class
“archetypical” uncontrolled body in public discourse, lazy, dirty, immoral, incapable
resisting urges
• Women held higher stand thinness and suffer greater penalties fall short, terms marriage
prospects as well as employment
• Wealthier white people-esp W- tend thinner poorer people color- having thin toned body
expensive- fresh food more expensive and physical activity requires leisure time
• Heavier W also poorer b/c weight-based stigma- W higher body mass predicts lower
personal and spousal earnings
• Neg stereotypes fatness and ethnic minority status often reinforce each other- white class
W lose some class and racial privilege if heavy, while WOC can gain status by being
thin- some black and latino fams pressure daughters be thin part strat upward mobility
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• White middle-class W and girls more likely diagnosed anorexia/ bulimia- thinness-
oriented eating disorders
• Contrast, rates binge eating disorder, often ass higher body weight, sim among black and
white W and white men- recurrent binge eating more common black than white W
• Binge eating likely object more pub discussions as gains more attention clinicians
(seriously considered own cat DSM-V)
• Media content provide sensitive barometer social process and change- once created,
remain unchanged and avail analysis, making ideal study attitudes, concerns, ideologies
and power relations and how shift over time
• Fashion mags and adv portray imp thinness and shame fat- cont neg body image and
eating probs among young girls; however, finds African American girls buffered fashion
pressures be thin by vibrant ethnic cult values personal style as well as thicker body types
• News accounts health and illness differ other media texts weight “expert” opinion,
making esp imp study- largely framed obesity moral prob gluttony and sloth and body
size predom blamed individ choices rather than social/ bio factors, but also increasing
discussion social-struct factors over time
• More likely than orig research report focus individ blame and describe obesity public
health crisis and/or epidemic and if discuss poor, blacks/ latinos more likely blame body
size individ choices than if don’t talk about groups
• News reports more likely portray welfare recipients dependent (unworthy) when
unmarried/ black comp widowed/ white
• News reports will blame individs overweight and obesity, esp when such individs poor
and/or from minority ethnic groups, thus reflecting and reinforcing neg stereotypes fat
people, poor and ethnic minorities
• Don’t examine how views race, gender/ class inform news media reports obesity and
some limit gen findings, not rep ample reporting topic overweight/ obesity
• All studies lack comparative case, imposs know extent patterns simply product generic
news media routines fav sensationalism and morality tales, combined perhaps w health
policy tendencies emphasize individ blame and responsibility
• Look at how frame overweight/ obesity and eating disorders part ways by drawing
attention some aspects issues while obscuring others- quant and qual 1999-2005 NY
times and newsweek
Data and methods:
• NY times and Newsweek- majority readers white and middle-class, poss pubs more
likely- comp ethnic presses/ presses catering working-class aud- uncrit reproduce neg
stereotypes regarding heavier people, pops and ethnic min (due cult inf, critical study)
• Time frame includes mod level press attention eating disorders and surge attention to
obesity in late 1990s and early 21st cent, doesn’t include 1980s, period concern over
anorexia arguably at height among medical comm but when news media attention
anorexia/ bulimia actually lower
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find more resources at oneclass.com
