Canadian Senate Report on Obesity: Focusing on Individual Behaviours versus Social Determinants of Health May Promote Weight Stigma
Very little attention has been given to unintended consequences of government reporting on obesity. This paper argues that the 2016 Senate report, “Obesity in Canada: A Whole-Of-Society Approach,” exemplifies the systemic public health issue of weight stigma. The purpose of this viewpoint is to crit...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2018-01-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Obesity |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/8645694 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849702768731750400 |
|---|---|
| author | Angela S. Alberga Lindsay McLaren Shelly Russell-Mayhew Kristin M. von Ranson |
| author_facet | Angela S. Alberga Lindsay McLaren Shelly Russell-Mayhew Kristin M. von Ranson |
| author_sort | Angela S. Alberga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Very little attention has been given to unintended consequences of government reporting on obesity. This paper argues that the 2016 Senate report, “Obesity in Canada: A Whole-Of-Society Approach,” exemplifies the systemic public health issue of weight stigma. The purpose of this viewpoint is to critique the approach taken in the Report, by illustrating that it (1) takes a weight-centric approach to health, (2) does not acknowledge important limitations of the definition and measurement of obesity, (3) reifies obesity as a categorical phenomenon that must be prevented, and (4) uses aggressive framing and disrespectful terminology. The Report perpetuates a focus on the individual, thereby failing to recognize the role that governments can play in reducing weight stigma and addressing social determinants of health. If steps are taken to avoid propagating weight stigma, future reports could more constructively address health promotion, equity, and social determinants of health in their policies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-092809ee9be14e3da85fc990e8dddbca |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2090-0708 2090-0716 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Obesity |
| spelling | doaj-art-092809ee9be14e3da85fc990e8dddbca2025-08-20T03:17:32ZengWileyJournal of Obesity2090-07082090-07162018-01-01201810.1155/2018/86456948645694Canadian Senate Report on Obesity: Focusing on Individual Behaviours versus Social Determinants of Health May Promote Weight StigmaAngela S. Alberga0Lindsay McLaren1Shelly Russell-Mayhew2Kristin M. von Ranson3Department of Exercise Science, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West Office: SP-165.31, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, CanadaCommunity Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, TRW Building, 3rd Floor, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, CanadaWerklund School of Education, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Education Tower 634, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, CanadaVery little attention has been given to unintended consequences of government reporting on obesity. This paper argues that the 2016 Senate report, “Obesity in Canada: A Whole-Of-Society Approach,” exemplifies the systemic public health issue of weight stigma. The purpose of this viewpoint is to critique the approach taken in the Report, by illustrating that it (1) takes a weight-centric approach to health, (2) does not acknowledge important limitations of the definition and measurement of obesity, (3) reifies obesity as a categorical phenomenon that must be prevented, and (4) uses aggressive framing and disrespectful terminology. The Report perpetuates a focus on the individual, thereby failing to recognize the role that governments can play in reducing weight stigma and addressing social determinants of health. If steps are taken to avoid propagating weight stigma, future reports could more constructively address health promotion, equity, and social determinants of health in their policies.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/8645694 |
| spellingShingle | Angela S. Alberga Lindsay McLaren Shelly Russell-Mayhew Kristin M. von Ranson Canadian Senate Report on Obesity: Focusing on Individual Behaviours versus Social Determinants of Health May Promote Weight Stigma Journal of Obesity |
| title | Canadian Senate Report on Obesity: Focusing on Individual Behaviours versus Social Determinants of Health May Promote Weight Stigma |
| title_full | Canadian Senate Report on Obesity: Focusing on Individual Behaviours versus Social Determinants of Health May Promote Weight Stigma |
| title_fullStr | Canadian Senate Report on Obesity: Focusing on Individual Behaviours versus Social Determinants of Health May Promote Weight Stigma |
| title_full_unstemmed | Canadian Senate Report on Obesity: Focusing on Individual Behaviours versus Social Determinants of Health May Promote Weight Stigma |
| title_short | Canadian Senate Report on Obesity: Focusing on Individual Behaviours versus Social Determinants of Health May Promote Weight Stigma |
| title_sort | canadian senate report on obesity focusing on individual behaviours versus social determinants of health may promote weight stigma |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/8645694 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT angelasalberga canadiansenatereportonobesityfocusingonindividualbehavioursversussocialdeterminantsofhealthmaypromoteweightstigma AT lindsaymclaren canadiansenatereportonobesityfocusingonindividualbehavioursversussocialdeterminantsofhealthmaypromoteweightstigma AT shellyrussellmayhew canadiansenatereportonobesityfocusingonindividualbehavioursversussocialdeterminantsofhealthmaypromoteweightstigma AT kristinmvonranson canadiansenatereportonobesityfocusingonindividualbehavioursversussocialdeterminantsofhealthmaypromoteweightstigma |