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Salmela J, Joki A, Koivumäki T, Katainen A, Lallukka T. Weight management practices, views, and experiences of adults living with poor socioeconomic circumstances and obesity: a qualitative systematic review protocol. JBI Evid Synth 2024; 22:940-946. [PMID: 38247722 PMCID: PMC11081485 DOI: 10.11124/jbies-23-00238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this review is to synthesize the best available qualitative evidence on the weight management practices, views, and experiences of adults living with poor socioeconomic circumstances and obesity. Additionally, the review aims to deepen our understanding of the common narratives of obesity according to these people. INTRODUCTION People living with poor socioeconomic circumstances are at increased risk of obesity, particularly in high-income countries, and their weight management practices (eg, weight-related behaviors) tend to be less healthy. Since prior research on socioeconomic inequalities in obesity is mostly from quantitative studies, the individual views and experiences related to weight management have been largely ignored. Thus, systematic qualitative evidence is needed on the weight management practices, views, and experiences of adults living with poor socioeconomic circumstances and obesity. INCLUSION CRITERIA Qualitative studies examining adults (aged 18 to 74 years) living with poor socioeconomic circumstances and obesity, and conducted in high- and upper-middle-income countries will be considered. The phenomenon of interest is these people's weight management practices, views, and experiences. METHODS Searches will be conducted in MEDLINE (Ovid), APA PsycINFO (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Scopus, Web of Science, and the Finnish health sciences database, MEDIC, restricted to the English and Finnish languages. Sources of unpublished studies and gray literature will include Google Scholar and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Two independent reviewers will screen the papers, assess methodological quality, and extract data following JBI's procedures. The meta-aggregative approach will be used for data synthesis. Confidence in the findings will be assessed using the ConQual approach. REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO CRD42023407938.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jatta Salmela
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anu Joki
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Terhi Koivumäki
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Anu Katainen
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tea Lallukka
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Bergman K, Nowicka P, Eli K, Lövestam E. "Writing nutritionistically": A critical discourse analysis of lay people's digital correspondence with the Swedish Food Agency. Health (London) 2021; 26:554-570. [PMID: 34542352 PMCID: PMC9344565 DOI: 10.1177/13634593211038533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This article analyzes lay people’s use of nutritionistic discourse in written
correspondence with the Swedish Food Agency, an authority responsible for
dietary advice. Examining 60 food related written digital messages, we apply a
critical discourse analysis to parse the lexical items and grammar people use
when constructing “food” in scientific terms. The findings show how message
writers place nutrients at the discursive center. Message writers’ grammatical
constructions instrumentalize food and eating. This is reinforced by the message
writers’ frequent use of terms that indicate preciseness, such as numbers and
amounts. Messages therefore emphasize the what, but not the how, of eating,
implying a focus on food as subject to regulation and control. As such, eating
is discursively reduced to an act of ingesting nutrients that can be
decontextualized and managed in isolation—as entities to increase or avoid
separately. These discursive features preclude the conceptualization of food
choice and eating as subjective experiences of feelings, taste, and
tradition.
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Oleschuk M. Expanding the joys of cooking: How class shapes the emotional experience of family foodwork. GENDER WORK AND ORGANIZATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Merin Oleschuk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana Illinois USA
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Al-Hanawi MK, Chirwa GC, Kamninga TM. Decomposition of Gender Differences in Body Mass Index in Saudi Arabia using Unconditional Quantile Regression: Analysis of National-Level Survey Data. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E2330. [PMID: 32235630 PMCID: PMC7178090 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17072330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Understanding gender differences in body mass index (BMI) between males and females has been much debated and received considerable attention. This study aims to decompose gender differentials in the BMI of people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study decomposed the BMI gender gap into its associated factors across the entire BMI distribution by using counterfactual regression methods. The main method of analysis was newly developed unconditional quantile regression-based decomposition, which applied Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition using data from the Saudi Health Interview Survey. Gender differentials were found in the BMI, with females showing a higher BMI than males. The aggregate decomposition showed that both the covariate effect and the structural effect were significant at the 25th and 50th quantiles. Detailed decomposition indicated that income level and employment status as well as soda consumption and the consumption of red meat were significantly correlated in explaining gender differentials in BMI across various quantiles, but the magnitude varied by quantile. Our study suggests the government should consider introducing programs that specifically target women to help them reduce BMI. These programs could include organizing sporting events at the workplace and at the national level. Furthermore, the effect of soda consumption could be reduced by levying a tax on beverages, which might reduce the demand for soda due to the increased price.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Khaled Al-Hanawi
- Department of Health Services and Hospital Administration, Faculty of Economics and Administration, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 80200, Saudi Arabia
| | - Gowokani Chijere Chirwa
- Centre for Health economics, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK or
- Economics Department, Chancellor College, University of Malawi, Zomba, P.O. Box 280, Malawi
| | - Tony Mwenda Kamninga
- Department of Social and Health Sciences, Millennium University, Blantyre P.O. Box 2797, Malawi;
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Choudhry K, Armstrong D, Dregan A. Obesity and Weight Change in Two United Kingdom Male Prisons. JOURNAL OF CORRECTIONAL HEALTH CARE 2019; 25:328-337. [PMID: 31722583 DOI: 10.1177/1078345819879925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Prisoners' weight and waist circumference were measured 6 and 12 months after imprisonment. Variables known to be associated with differences in lifestyle behaviors and obesity were considered as covariates in the study. A total of 367 prisoners were recruited into the study at baseline, with 116 of these having dropped out of the study from the 6-month to the 12-month follow-up. The obesity prevalence rate increased 50% from baseline (16%) to the 6-month follow-up (24%). Obesity prevalence rates then declined 4-fold from the 6-month (24%) to the 12-month follow-up (6%). While time in prison was associated with an increase in body mass index, this effect was influenced by intrinsic prisoner characteristics, extrinsic factors, and the prison regime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khurshid Choudhry
- GKT School of Medical Education, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - David Armstrong
- GKT School of Medical Education, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandru Dregan
- GKT School of Medical Education, King's College London, United Kingdom
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Aksoy H, Döner Güner P, Kahveci R, Özkara A. WEIGHT LOSS EXPERIENCES OF OBESE INDIVIDUALS; QUALITATIVE STUDY. KONURALP TIP DERGISI 2019. [DOI: 10.18521/ktd.565911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Bergman K, Eli K, Osowski CP, Lövestam E, Nowicka P. Public Expressions of Trust and Distrust in Governmental Dietary Advice in Sweden. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2019; 29:1161-1173. [PMID: 30741093 DOI: 10.1177/1049732318825153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We examine public trust and distrust in governmental food and nutrition authorities, through analyzing 727 letters sent electronically to the Swedish National Food Agency by lay people. Using thematic analysis, four themes were developed, defining public expressions of trust and distrust in official dietary advice. Trust was expressed as (a) seeking to confirm and clarify dietary advice or (b) seeking official arbitration between competing dietary advice. Distrust was expressed as (c) questioning and scrutinizing dietary advice or (d) protesting and resisting dietary advice. Notably, expressions of distrust employed discursive practices that both mirrored authoritative discourses and subverted official advice, by appealing to scientific language and "alternative" evidence. All letters positioned the agency as the ultimate authority on healthy eating; notwithstanding whether the agency's advice was to be followed or resisted. Thus, the letters revealed how the same authoritative discourses can simultaneously be a site of public trust and distrust.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karin Eli
- 2 University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Crucean D, Debucquet G, Rannou C, le-Bail A, le-Bail P. Vitamin B4 as a salt substitute in bread: A challenging and successful new strategy. Sensory perception and acceptability by French consumers. Appetite 2019; 134:17-25. [PMID: 30576725 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Numerous scientific studies have shown that overconsumption of salt can be harmful and promotes the development of cardiovascular diseases. For this reason, many international organizations and government agencies aim to reduce overall salt consumption from food. Recent exploratory work has shown that vitamin B4 can play the role of salt substitute. This study aims on the one hand to develop and optimize a bread recipe reduced in salt and enriched with vitamin B4. On the other, it aims to study the acceptability for consumers of this double innovation, combining the addition and withdrawal of a nutrient. The study was conducted with French consumers. The sensory test showed that vitamin B4 tends to increase the perception of salt in salt-reduced bread. The acceptance of reduced-salt and vitamin B4-enriched bread was investigated in three focus-groups, mixing blind tests, information input and spontaneous evocations. Three potential targets have been identified: health-oriented young people, young parents who want to educate children to engage in a healthy lifestyle, and people broadly sensitive to nutritional information. Consumers with a pleasure and taste-oriented profile were more skeptical of the new bread formula because of greater attachment to traditional, salty French bread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doina Crucean
- ONIRIS, UMR 6144 GEPEA CNRS, F-44322, Nantes, France; INRA, UR1268 Biopolymers Interactions Assemblies, BP 71627, F-44316, Nantes, France; Audencia Business School, 8 Route de la Jonelière, BP 31222, F-44312, Nantes, France
| | - Gervaise Debucquet
- Audencia Business School, 8 Route de la Jonelière, BP 31222, F-44312, Nantes, France.
| | - Cécile Rannou
- ONIRIS, UMR 6144 GEPEA CNRS, F-44322, Nantes, France; SFR IBSM 4202, BP 71627, F-44316, Nantes, France
| | - Alain le-Bail
- ONIRIS, UMR 6144 GEPEA CNRS, F-44322, Nantes, France; SFR IBSM 4202, BP 71627, F-44316, Nantes, France
| | - Patricia le-Bail
- INRA, UR1268 Biopolymers Interactions Assemblies, BP 71627, F-44316, Nantes, France; SFR IBSM 4202, BP 71627, F-44316, Nantes, France
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Halkier B. Mundane negotiations around official Danish dietary advice: connection, expert knowledge, and everyday agency. CRITICAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/09581596.2018.1554244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bente Halkier
- Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Robinovich J, Ossa X, Baeza B, Krumeich A, van der Borne B. Embodiment of social roles and thinness as a form of capital: A qualitative approach towards understanding female obesity disparities in Chile. Soc Sci Med 2018; 201:80-86. [PMID: 29459282 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Obesity in Chile disproportionately affects women of low socioeconomic status (SES). Research has shown that ideals of body size and differences in perceived social pressure for being slim across socioeconomic strata contribute to the social stratification of body size among women in modern societies. Thinness is most valued by high SES women, following western standards of ideal body size. Aiming to understand the link between ideals of body size and SES, this qualitative study explored how 36 Chilean women construct their bodily ideals according to their social position. A purposive sample of women with different profiles with regard to educational attainment, nutritional status and body size (dis)satisfaction was defined, aiming to cover a diverse spectrum of bodily perceptions. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and approached through a thematic and narrative analysis. Drawing on Bourdieu's concepts of habitus, field, capital and embodiment of the social context, this study explains how ideals of body size and appearance are strongly linked to class-dependent gender roles and social roles. The existing gender and class inequalities in the Chilean social structure have been literally embodied by these women through a 'gendered class habitus'. Compliance with the thin ideal confers women different degrees of power according to their social position in different fields, such as in marriage and on the labour market, which turns thinness into an embodied form of capital. The societal dynamic behind obesity rates cannot be disregarded when approaching possible solutions. Promoting obesity-related lifestyle modification at an individual level might appear an over-simplistic and individualistic approach to a complex social issue. Context-oriented interventions that take cultural constructions of gender and social class into account might yield better results in the long term, while advocating for a more equitable society and social justice as a public health concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jossiana Robinovich
- Department of Public Health, Universidad de La Frontera, Chile; Department of Health, Ethics and Society, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
| | - Ximena Ossa
- Department of Public Health, Universidad de La Frontera, Chile
| | - Bernardita Baeza
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Surgery, Universidad de La Frontera, Chile
| | - Anja Krumeich
- Department of Health, Ethics and Society, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
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11
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Diet and public health campaigns: Implementation and appropriation of nutritional recommendations in France and Luxembourg. Appetite 2017; 112:249-259. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2016] [Revised: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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12
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Adams C, Harder BM. Diet, exercise…anddrugs: social constructions of healthy lifestyles in weight-related prescription drug advertisements. CRITICAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/09581596.2017.1318204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Crystal Adams
- Department of Sociology, University of Miami , Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Brittany M. Harder
- Department of History, Sociology,Geography and Legal Studies, The University of Tampa , Tampa, FL, USA
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Knutsen IR, Foss IC, Todorova E, Roukova P, Kennedy A, Portillo MC, Regaira E, Serrano-Gil M, Lionis C, Angelaki A, Rogers A. Negotiating Diet in Networks: A Cross-European Study of the Experiences of Managing Type 2 Diabetes. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2017; 27:299-310. [PMID: 26515920 DOI: 10.1177/1049732315610318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Food and diet are central aspects of diabetes self-management but the relevance of social networks for the way people are supported in their management of type 2 diabetes is often under-acknowledged. In this article, we aimed to explore the coalescences between these two phenomena among people with type 2 diabetes to increase knowledge of interactions within social network related to daily diet. The article is based on 125 qualitative interviews with individuals with type 2 diabetes from five European countries. Based on assumptions that people with chronic illnesses reshape relationships through negotiation, we analyzed negotiations of food at different levels of network. The respondents' reflections indicate that there are complex negotiations that influence self-management and food, including support, knowledge, and relationships within families; attention and openness in social situations; and the premises and norms of society.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elka Todorova
- 2 University of World and National Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Poli Roukova
- 3 Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Anne Rogers
- 4 University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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Parsons AA, Walsemann KM, Jones SJ, Knopf H, Blake CE. The influence of dominant obesity discourse on child health narratives: a qualitative study. CRITICAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/09581596.2016.1164298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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Exploring Environment-Intervention Fit: A Study of a Work Environment Intervention Program for the Care Sector. ScientificWorldJournal 2015; 2015:272347. [PMID: 26380356 PMCID: PMC4562090 DOI: 10.1155/2015/272347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Revised: 05/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeting occupational health and safety interventions to different groups of employees and sectors is important. The aim of this study was to explore the environment-intervention fit of a Danish psychosocial work environment intervention program for the residential and home care sector. Focus group interviews with employees and interviews with mangers were conducted at 12 selected workplaces and a questionnaire survey was conducted with managers at all 115 workplaces. The interventions enhanced the probability of employees experiencing more "good" work days, where they could make a difference to the lives of clients. The interventions may therefore be characterized as culturally compelling and having a good fit with the immediate work environment of employees. The interventions furthermore seemed to fit well with the wider organizational environment and with recent changes in the societal and economic context of workplaces. However, some workplaces had difficulties with involving all employees and adapting the interventions to the organization of work. The findings suggest that flexibility and a variety of strategies to involve all employees are important aspects, if interventions are to fit well with the care sector. The focus on employees' conceptualization of a "good" work day may be useful for intervention research in other sectors.
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Malika NM, Hayman LW, Miller AL, Lee HJ, Lumeng JC. Low-income women's conceptualizations of food craving and food addiction. Eat Behav 2015; 18:25-9. [PMID: 25867800 PMCID: PMC4504758 DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2015.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2014] [Revised: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Food craving and food addiction have been proposed as targets for obesity focused interventions. However, individuals' conceptualizations of these constructs are not well understood and no studies have employed a qualitative approach. Therefore, we sought to understand how women conceptualize food craving and food addiction. Low-income women with preschool-aged children (2-5years old) participated in either a semi-structured individual interview or focus group in which they were asked about their conceptualization of eating behaviors among adults and children. All responses were audio-recorded and transcribed. Themes were identified using the constant comparative method of qualitative analysis. Identified themes revealed that the women perceived food craving to be common, less severe and to a degree more humorous than food addiction. It was not felt that food cravings were something to be guarded against or resisted. Food addiction was described in a very "matter of fact" manner and was believed to be identifiable through its behavioral features including a compulsive need to have certain foods all the time. A more detailed understanding of how the general population perceives food craving and food addiction may enable more refined measurement of these constructs with questionnaire measures in the future. In addition, interventions may be designed to use the language most consistent with participants' conceptualizations of these constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nipher M Malika
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Lenwood W Hayman
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Alison L Miller
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Hannah J Lee
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Julie C Lumeng
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
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Nutritional advice from George Orwell. Exploring the social mechanisms behind the overconsumption of unhealthy foods by people with low socio-economic status. Appetite 2015; 91:150-6. [PMID: 25865664 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2015.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2014] [Revised: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Despite a general consensus and recognition of the importance of the "social gradient" on nutritional standards and ultimately people's health, (Budrys, 2003; Marmot & Wilkinson, 1999; Marmot et al., 1991; Ross & Wu, 1995), the body of literature identifying and describing the actual underlying social mechanisms which could explain this association is small, fragmented and not contained within one single discipline of thought - the effects of this conundrum seem easier to describe than to explain. The aim of this article is therefore to explore and identify social mechanisms, which could help explain why people with low socio-economic status consume a disproportionate amount of unhealthy foods and therefore also observe poorer diets. It is therefore in many ways an exploration into the nature of (relative) poverty. The point of departure for this exploration and identification is historical descriptions (in the form of excerpts) from George Orwell's (1937) book "The Road to Wigan Pier" on the living conditions of the British working classes. These descriptions will be aligned with results from contemporary research into nutritional behaviour. Strong similarities are identified between George Orwell's historical descriptions of the working-class's unhealthy diet and the findings from contemporary research into nutritional behaviour of people with a low socio-economic status. Certain social mechanisms influencing nutritional choices are readily identifiable across disciplines, and even partly reproduced in different historical, social and spatial contexts, with stronger negative (nutritional) consequences for people with low socio-economic status. The disregard of social mechanisms, and therefore implicitly issues of class, could indicate a general "de-socialization" of nutritional advice also in its dispersal through various health-promotion initiatives and campaigns, which raises serious questions about the usefulness of much nutritional advice, already tentatively questioned by some nutritionist (Burr et al., 2007) as well as "food" sociologist (Smith & Holm, 2010).
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Eating practices and habitus in mothers. A Brazilian population-based survey. Appetite 2014; 82:16-28. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2014] [Revised: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Ellis S, Rosenblum K, Miller A, Peterson KE, Lumeng JC. Meaning of the terms "overweight" and "obese" among low-income women. JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION AND BEHAVIOR 2014; 46:299-303. [PMID: 24135314 PMCID: PMC3986347 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2013.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2013] [Revised: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine how low-income, US women understand the meanings of the terms "overweight" and "obese." METHODS Low-income women (n = 145; 72% white, 12% black, and 8% Hispanic; 59% obese and 21% overweight) each participated in an individual semi-structured interview during which they were asked to explain what the terms "overweight" and "obese" mean to them. Responses were transcribed and the constant comparative method was used to identify themes. RESULTS Three themes emerged: (1) The terms are offensive and describe people who are unmotivated and depressed and do not care about themselves; (2) obese is an extreme weight (eg, 500 lb and being immobile); (3) being overweight is a matter of opinion; if a woman is "comfortable in her own skin" and "feels healthy," she is not overweight. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Health education focused on obesity should consider that vulnerable populations might consider the terms "overweight" and "obese" offensive and stigmatizing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Ellis
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Katherine Rosenblum
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Alison Miller
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Karen E Peterson
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Human Nutrition Program, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Julie C Lumeng
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI; Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Human Nutrition Program, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI.
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20
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Antin TM, Hunt G. Embodying both stigma and satisfaction: an interview study of African American women. CRITICAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/09581596.2011.634784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Carreira H, Pereira M, Azevedo A, Lunet N. Effect of the type of population on estimates of mean body mass index and prevalence of overweight and obesity: A systematic review of studies of Portuguese adults. Ann Hum Biol 2012; 39:223-38. [DOI: 10.3109/03014460.2012.681804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Helena Carreira
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Predictive Medicine and Public Health, University of Porto Medical School,
Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Public Health, University of Porto,
Porto, Portugal
| | - Marta Pereira
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Predictive Medicine and Public Health, University of Porto Medical School,
Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Public Health, University of Porto,
Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Azevedo
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Predictive Medicine and Public Health, University of Porto Medical School,
Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Public Health, University of Porto,
Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Lunet
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Predictive Medicine and Public Health, University of Porto Medical School,
Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Public Health, University of Porto,
Porto, Portugal
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