Is it okay for obesity prevention campaigns to cause fear, risk, stigma and disgust?

What is it about?

Government efforts to address obesity often include public health media campaigns. We examine an Australia obesity prevention campaign which uses images and information to create fear, risk, stigma, disgust, and promote personal responsibility. We consider how these types of campaigns can be used to promote certain body images and types, while suggesting other body types are problematic. These campaigns can have unintended consequences that should be considered.

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Why is it important?

Obesity prevention campaigns are a common response to the 'obesity epidemic'. While often considered as a population health response they commonly focus on actions that should be undertaken by individuals rather than at a population level. Such campaigns can contribute to weight bias and stigma, and may have limited impact on population level weight reduction.