The effect of ‘supersize’  images on the receipt of health messages about being overweight

Dorota Juszczyk; Fiona Gillison; Steven Dean

Abstract

Background: Images depicting morbidly obese models often accompany articles about the health risks of being overweight. We investigated whether a mismatch between the body size depicted, and that of the health message’s target population, affects risk perception.

Methods: 587 participants (291 overweight/ obese and 296 healthy weight participants) were randomly allocated to read a health message presented with: a photo of an overweight model, a photo of a morbidly obese model or no photo. Models were presented on exactly the same background and were gender specific.

Results: Overweight/ obese participants viewing a morbidly obese image perceived health risks to start from a higher body weight than those who saw the health message alongside no image (F(2, 291)= 3.161, p= .044).

Discussion: The findings suggest that exaggerated media images might affect how overweight individuals interpret message about health risks.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - Jul 2013
Event	European Health Psychology Conference 2013 - Bordeaux, France Duration: 16 Jul 2013 → 20 Jul 2013

Conference

Conference	European Health Psychology Conference 2013
Country/Territory	France
City	Bordeaux
Period	16/07/13 → 20/07/13

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Cite this

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title = "The effect of {\textquoteleft}supersize{\textquoteright} images on the receipt of health messages about being overweight",

abstract = "Background: Images depicting morbidly obese models often accompany articles about the health risks of being overweight. We investigated whether a mismatch between the body size depicted, and that of the health message{\textquoteright}s target population, affects risk perception. Methods: 587 participants (291 overweight/ obese and 296 healthy weight participants) were randomly allocated to read a health message presented with: a photo of an overweight model, a photo of a morbidly obese model or no photo. Models were presented on exactly the same background and were gender specific. Results: Overweight/ obese participants viewing a morbidly obese image perceived health risks to start from a higher body weight than those who saw the health message alongside no image (F(2, 291)= 3.161, p= .044). Discussion: The findings suggest that exaggerated media images might affect how overweight individuals interpret message about health risks. ",

author = "Dorota Juszczyk and Fiona Gillison and Steven Dean",

year = "2013",

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language = "English",

note = "European Health Psychology Conference 2013 ; Conference date: 16-07-2013 Through 20-07-2013",

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T1 - The effect of ‘supersize’ images on the receipt of health messages about being overweight

AU - Juszczyk, Dorota

AU - Gillison, Fiona

AU - Dean, Steven

PY - 2013/7

Y1 - 2013/7

N2 - Background: Images depicting morbidly obese models often accompany articles about the health risks of being overweight. We investigated whether a mismatch between the body size depicted, and that of the health message’s target population, affects risk perception. Methods: 587 participants (291 overweight/ obese and 296 healthy weight participants) were randomly allocated to read a health message presented with: a photo of an overweight model, a photo of a morbidly obese model or no photo. Models were presented on exactly the same background and were gender specific. Results: Overweight/ obese participants viewing a morbidly obese image perceived health risks to start from a higher body weight than those who saw the health message alongside no image (F(2, 291)= 3.161, p= .044). Discussion: The findings suggest that exaggerated media images might affect how overweight individuals interpret message about health risks.

AB - Background: Images depicting morbidly obese models often accompany articles about the health risks of being overweight. We investigated whether a mismatch between the body size depicted, and that of the health message’s target population, affects risk perception. Methods: 587 participants (291 overweight/ obese and 296 healthy weight participants) were randomly allocated to read a health message presented with: a photo of an overweight model, a photo of a morbidly obese model or no photo. Models were presented on exactly the same background and were gender specific. Results: Overweight/ obese participants viewing a morbidly obese image perceived health risks to start from a higher body weight than those who saw the health message alongside no image (F(2, 291)= 3.161, p= .044). Discussion: The findings suggest that exaggerated media images might affect how overweight individuals interpret message about health risks.

UR - http://www.ehps2013-bordeaux.com/

M3 - Abstract

T2 - European Health Psychology Conference 2013

Y2 - 16 July 2013 through 20 July 2013

ER -

The effect of ‘supersize’ images on the receipt of health messages about being overweight

Abstract

Conference

UN SDGs

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