Are media to blame for obesity epidemic?

istockphoto

(CBS) What's feeding America's obesity epidemic? Experts have blamed everything from junk food and sedentary jobs to a failure to exercise - or to exercise self-control. But now psychologists at Yale University say they've identified another culprit - the media.

PICTURES - Busted! 11 pictures obesity docs don't want you to see

For years, magazines, websites, and other media have been slammed for using pictures of skinny models - psychologists say the images promote eating disorders by giving young women a wildly unrealistic view of the female form. Now the Yale docs say photos and videos that depict obese people stuffing their faces with fatty food or sprawling self-indulgently on a sofa are pushing fat people toward even bigger bodies.

Talk about irony.

Dr. Rebecca Puhl, director of research at Yale's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, calls the stereotype-promoting portrayals have become a major public health problem.

"These images greatly influence people's quality of life, both psychologically and in terms of physical health," she told CBS News. "They can lead to unhealthy behaviors that reinforce weight gain. They can lead to binging and avoidance of physical activity, and even lead people to drop out of weight-loss programs."

It's hard to tell just how big an impact the photos are having on our obesity epidemic, but Puhl said studies suggest that recent decades had seen a dramatic rise in the number of fat people saying they had been the victims of "weight-based" discrimination. And, she said, research has shown that people "internalize" the negative portrayals of obesity - and that some people turn to food in an effort to cope with the negative feelings.

If pictures are part of the obesity problem, what's the solution? Puhl and her colleagues decided to fight fire with fire. They created their own obesity image bank. Instead of images of "fat slobs," the online resource gives journalists free access to images that portray fatties in a favorable light.

Want to take a peek at the pictures Puhl doesn't want you to see?

21 Photos

Busted! 11 photos obesity docs don't want you to see

[obesityisjustthere]

In society, it has supposedly been accepted among enlightened, educated, responsible individuals that any kind of invidious discrimination or hatred of persons simply for qualities that inhere in or are intrinsic to that individual, such as, for example, ethnicity, is unacceptable.

All except, that is, for obese persons. Even these so-called "liberally enlightened" openly express hatred and advocate all kinds of discriminatory conduct and policies against the obese. Obese persons, by tacit societal policy, are kept out of many areas of life in society because there is an attitude and a belief that when an obese person is seen in public simply being obese, that somehow "promotes" being obese and that the condition of being obese is entirely voluntary. This is ridiculous.

Obese persons are not welcome on commercial passenger aircraft. Because of hatred and invidious discrimination, obese persons are not welcome in many employment settings--not because they cannot perform the job function, but because doing the job constitutes the offense of "being obese in public" and thereby "promoting obesity". Obese persons are not welcome in many public venues, because the accomodations, such as fixed-width seating, are inadequate. Obese persons are clearly not welcome in on-screen journalism, and when obese persons are allowed to appear in entertainment television, it is because the obese character's quality of being obese is "essential" to the storyline.

AN INDIVIDUAL SIMPLY BEING OBESE IS NOT ADVOCATING OR PROMOTING THE CONDITION OF BEING OBESE, ANY MORE THAN AN INDIVIDUAL KNOWN TO BE SUFFERING FROM ANY OTHER DISEASE IS ADVOCATING FOR, OR SEEKING TO PROMOTE, HAVING THAT CONDITION.

There are many diseases which, like obesity, can be mitigated, but not necessarily cured or eradicated, by conduct other than direct medical treatment. These include eating certain foods (not with the intent of caloric restriction, but for specific nutrient content), ingesting herbal supplements, etc.

There is no other disease for which simply being known to suffer from the disease is equated with "promoting" having the disease. Why is obesity the only disease wherein being known to suffer from the disease is deemed equivalent to promoting having the condition?

[obesityisjustthere]

In society, it has supposedly been accepted among enlightened, educated, responsible individuals that any kind of invidious discrimination or hatred of persons simply for qualities that inhere in or are intrinsic to that individual, such as, for example, ethnicity, is unacceptable.

All except, that is, for obese persons. Even these so-called "liberally enlightened" openly express hatred and advocate all kinds of discriminatory conduct and policies against the obese. Obese persons, by tacit societal policy, are kept out of many areas of life in society because there is an attitude and a belief that when an obese person is seen in public simply being obese, that somehow "promotes" being obese and that the condition of being obese is entirely voluntary. This is ridiculous.

Obese persons are not welcome on commercial passenger aircraft. Because of hatred and invidious discrimination, obese persons are not welcome in many employment settings--not because they cannot perform the job function, but because doing the job constitutes the offense of "being obese in public" and thereby "promoting obesity". Obese persons are not welcome in many public venues, because the accomodations, such as fixed-width seating, are inadequate. Obese persons are clearly not welcome in on-screen journalism, and when obese persons are allowed to appear in entertainment television, it is because the obese character's quality of being obese is "essential" to the storyline.

AN INDIVIDUAL SIMPLY BEING OBESE IS NOT ADVOCATING OR PROMOTING THE CONDITION OF BEING OBESE, ANY MORE THAN AN INDIVIDUAL KNOWN TO BE SUFFERING FROM ANY OTHER DISEASE IS ADVOCATING FOR, OR SEEKING TO PROMOTE, HAVING THAT CONDITION.

There are many diseases which, like obesity, can be mitigated, but not necessarily cured or eradicated, by conduct other than direct medical treatment. These include eating certain foods (not with the intent of caloric restriction, but for specific nutrient content), ingesting herbal supplements, etc.

There is no other disease for which simply being known to suffer from the disease is equated with "promoting" having the disease. Why is obesity the only disease wherein being known to suffer from the disease is deemed equivalent to promoting having the condition?

[bobbyboobee]

That's right.. It was the media that made me eat all that stuff. Wasn't my idea. Damn media.

[rf35]

I'll agree that the media is contributing to obesity, just not in the way the article suggests. I think obese people are being portrayed too positively in television and movies. There are a couple of sitcoms that seem to indicate that obese people can be healthy and happy, living productive lives. This glamorization of a major health defect is indefensible. Would any television protagonist today be a heavy cigarette smoker? Of course not...it's unthinkable! Obesity should be treated the same way. Most people make a choice to be fat (or rather choose live their lives in a way that leads to being fat). It's no different than people who make a choice to smoke. Obesity should carry the same social stigma as smoking. It's disgusting, costs me extra money, and can even endanger my health and wellbeing.

[rf35]

The problem with the negative stereotypes about obese people is that most of them are spot-on. With the exception of the VERY RARE cases of glandular disorders or a few other diseases/conditions, fat people are fat because they eat too much and move too little. I also firmly believe an obese kid's parents should be charged with child abuse.