Background Social marketing has been proposed as a framework that may be effectively used to encourage behaviour change relating to obesity. Social advertising (or mass media campaigning) is the most commonly used social marketing strategy to address the issue of obesity. While social advertising has the potential to effectively communicate information about obesity, some argue that the current framing and delivery of these campaigns are ineffective, and may cause more harm than good. Methods We used a qualitative advertising reception study. 150 family groups (comprised of 159 parents and 184 children) were shown two Australian government anti-obesity advertisements: Measure Up (focused on problems associated with obesity) and Swap It (focused on solutions for obesity). Families were engaged in a discussion about the visual appeals, verbal messages and their perceptions about the impact of the advertisements on behavioural change. Open coding techniques and a constant comparative method of analysis was used to interpret the data. Results Many parents had strong personal resonance with the visual imagery within the campaigns. While Swap It had strong ‘likeability’ with children, many children believed that the messages about overweight and obesity were less personally relevant because they did not perceive themselves to be overweight. The content and delivery style of the verbal messages (the serious risk focused message in Measure Up compared to the upbeat, fun practical message in Swap It ) influenced how different audiences (parents and children) interpreted the information that was presented. Parents assimilated practical and instructive messages, while children assimilated messages about weight loss and weight gain. Parents and children recognised that the campaigns were asking individuals to take personal responsibility for their weight status, and were at times critical that the campaigns did not tackle the broader issues associated with the causes and consequences of obesity. The lack of practical tools to encourage behavioural change was a key barrier for obese parents. Conclusions Well-funded, targeted social marketing campaigns will play an important role in the prevention and management of obesity. It is important that these campaigns are comprehensively evaluated and are backed up with structural supports to enable and encourage population subgroups to act upon messages.

OBJECTIVESTo investigate obese men's health behaviors and strategies for change.METHODSQualitative interviews with 36 men (BMI 30 and over).RESULTSAll men felt personally responsible for their weight gain. Sedentary lifestyles, stress, lack of worklife balance and weight-based stigma were all significant causes of weight gain and barriers to weight loss. These factors also contributed to men's unwillingness to seek help for their over-weight.CONCLUSIONAddressing the self-blame and stigma associated with obesity is important in developing strategies to improve the health and well-being of obese men.

Obesity stigma exists within many institutions and cultural settings. Most studies suggest that stigmatising experiences have a negative impact on individuals' health and social behaviours and outcomes. However, some studies indicate that obesity stigma can motivate individuals to lose weight. Limited research has examined weight-based stigma from the perspective of obese individuals, including their perceptions of, and responses to, the different types of weight-based stigma they face in their daily lives. This study advances knowledge about weight-based stigma by documenting how obese adults (mostly female) described the different types of obesity stigma that they faced, how they responded to this stigma, and how different types of stigma impact on health and social wellbeing. Semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted between April 2008 and March 2009 with a diverse sample of 141 obese Australian adults. Guided by Link and Phelan's (2006) categorisation of different types of discrimination, participants' experiences could be grouped into three distinct types of stigma: 1) Direct (e.g. being abused when using public transport); 2) Environmental (e.g. not being able to fit into seats on planes); and 3) Indirect (e.g. people staring at the contents of their supermarket trolley). Participants described that more subtle forms of stigma had the most impact on their health and social wellbeing. However, it was the interaction between direct, environmental and indirect stigma that created a barrier to participation in health-promoting activities. Participants rarely challenged stigma and often blamed themselves for stigmatising experiences. They also avoided situations where they perceived they would be stigmatised and constantly thought about how they could find a solution to their obesity.

Previous studies of public perceptions of obesity interventions have been quantitative and based on general population surveys. This study aims to explore the opinions and attitudes of obese individuals towards population and individual interventions for obesity in Australia.

The rise of the ‘obesity epidemic’ in Western societies has led to an increased public gaze on obese individuals. Yet there is limited research that explores through qualitative methods the increased impact it has had on obese individuals’ perceptions of self, body image and coping strategies, using their own words. This paper presents the findings of interviews with a community sample of 142 obese adults in Australia. We examined how obese individuals felt about themselves and their bodies, what influenced these feelings, and the subsequent coping strategies employed. While participants were able to identify many positive characteristics about their inner self, the vast majority used negative language to describe their physical appearance. Many participants described feelings of ‘guilt’, ‘shame’ and ‘blame’ associated with their weight. Coping strategies included striving for perfection in other areas of their life, social isolation, maximising aspects of their appearance and ‘fat’ acceptance. This study shows that, while different groups of obese adults experience, cope with and compensate for the influence of weight-based stereotyping in many different ways, they still feel an unrelenting otherness and difference associated with their weight.

INTRODUCTION:This study explores what types of information obese individuals search for on the Internet, their motivations for seeking information and how they apply it in their daily lives.METHOD:In-depth telephone interviews with an Australian community sample of 142 individuals with a BMI ≥ 30 were conducted. Theoretical, purposive and strategic samplings were employed. Data were analysed using a constant comparative method.RESULTS:Of the 142 individuals who participated in the study, 111 (78%) searched for information about weight loss or obesity. Of these, about three quarters searched for weight loss solutions. The higher the individual's weight, the more they appeared to search for weight loss solutions. Participants also searched for information about health risks associated with obesity (n = 28), how to prevent poor health outcomes (n = 30) and for peer support forums with other obese individuals (n = 25). Whilst participants visited a range of websites, including government-sponsored sites, community groups and weight loss companies, they overwhelmingly acted upon the advice given on commercial diet websites. However, safe, non-judgemental spaces such as the Fatosphere (online fat acceptance community) provided much needed solidarity and support.CONCLUSIONS:The Internet provides a convenient source of support and information for obese individuals. However, many turn to the same unsuccessful solutions online (e.g. fad dieting) they turn to in the community. Government and community organisations could draw upon some lessons learned in other consumer-driven online spaces (e.g. the Fatosphere) to provide supportive environments for obese individuals that resonate with their health and social experiences, and address their needs.

BACKGROUND:We are a society that is fixated on the health consequences of 'being fat'. Public health agencies play an important role in 'alerting' people about the risks that obesity poses both to individuals and to the broader society. Quantitative studies suggest people comprehend the physical health risks involved but underestimate their own risk because they do not recognise that they are obese.METHODS:This qualitative study seeks to expand on existing research by exploring obese individuals' perceptions of public health messages about risk, how they apply these messages to themselves and how their personal and social contexts and experiences may influence these perceptions. The study uses in depth interviews with a community sample of 142 obese individuals. A constant comparative method was employed to analyse the data.RESULTS:Personal and contextual factors influenced the ways in which individuals interpreted and applied public health messages, including their own health and wellbeing and perceptions of stigma. Individuals felt that messages were overly focused on the physical rather than emotional health consequences of obesity. Many described feeling stigmatised and blamed by the simplicity of messages and the lack of realistic solutions. Participants described the need for messages that convey the risks associated with obesity while minimising possible stigmatisation of obese individuals. This included ensuring that messages recognise the complexity of obesity and focus on encouraging healthy behaviours for individuals of all sizes.CONCLUSION:This study is the first step in exploring the ways in which we understand how public health messages about obesity resonate with obese individuals in Australia. However, much more research--both qualitative and quantitative--is needed to enhance understanding of the impact of obesity messages on individuals.

Public responses to obesity have focused on providing standardized messages and supports to all obese individuals, but there is limited understanding of the impact of these messages on obese adults. This descriptive qualitative study using in-depth interviews and a thematic method of analysis, compares the health beliefs and behaviors of 141 Australian adults with mild to moderate (BMI 30−39.9) and severe (BMI ≥ 40) obesity. Mildly obese individuals felt little need to change their health behaviors or to lose weight for health reasons. Most believed they could “lose weight” if they needed to, distanced themselves from the word obesity, and stigmatized those “fatter” than themselves. Severely obese individuals felt an urgent need to change their health behaviors, but felt powerless to do so. They blamed themselves for their weight, used stereotypical language to describe their health behaviors, and described being “at war” with their bodies. Further research, particularly about the role of stigma and stereotyping, is needed to fully understand the impact of obesity messaging on the health beliefs, behaviors, and wellbeing of obese and severely obese adults.

Eutrophication often causes hypoxia in estuarine and coastal systems, but the mechanisms that control hypoxic events vary among estuaries and are often difficult to discern. We monitored surface and bottom dissolved oxygen (DO) in the Upper Newport Bay (UNB), a tidally mixed estuary in southern California subject to anthropogenic nutrient loading, eutrophication and hypoxia. Our goal was to identify the environmental factors regulating DO dynamics. Six hypoxic events occurred between June and November and were associated with a combination of low solar radiation, increased freshwater discharge following precipitation, and enhanced haline stratification during reduced tidal range periods. At the head of the estuary, high macroalgal biomass and pronounced haline stratification resulted in high DO in the surface layer and low DO in the bottom layer. Oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor waters were transported down-estuary by ebb tides, resulting in DO heterogeneity throughout the UNB. Cross-wavelet analysis illustrated the down-estuary propagation of high/low DO signal correlated with the phases of diurnal photosynthetic and semi-diurnal tidal cycles.

Objective  To develop an in‐depth picture of both lived experience of obesity and the impact of socio‐cultural factors on people living with obesity.

Background: To explore the extent to which people living with obesity have attempted to lose weight, their attitudes towards dieting, physical exercise and weight loss solutions, why their weight loss attempts have failed, and their opinions about what would be most beneficial to them in their struggle with their weight.Method: Qualitative study, using open-ended interviews, of 76 people living with obesity in Victoria, Australia in 2006/7. Individuals with a BMI of 30 or over were recruited using articles in local newspapers, convenience sampling, and at a later stage purposive sampling techniques to diversify the sample. Data analysis was conducted by hand using a constant, comparative method to develop and test analytical categories. Data were interpreted both within team meetings and through providing research participants the chance to comment on the study findings.Results: Whilst participants repeatedly turned to commercial diets in their weight loss attempts, few had used, or were motivated to participate in physical activity. Friends or family members had introduced most individuals to weight loss techniques. Those who took part in interventions with members of their social network were more likely to report feeling accepted and supported. Participants blamed themselves for being unable to maintain their weight loss or 'stick' to diets. Whilst diets did not result in sustained weight loss, two thirds of participants felt that dieting was an effective way to lose weight.Conclusion: Individuals with obesity receive numerous instructions about what to do to address their weight, but very few are given appropriate long term guidance or support with which to follow through those instructions. Understanding the positive role of social networks may be particularly important in engaging individuals in physical activity. Public health approaches to obesity must engage and consult with those currently living with obesity, if patterns of social change are to occur.

"Joined-up' government and 'whole-of-government' approaches have evolved over the past two decades from the simple 'one-stop-shop' concept to much more formal organisational structures mandated at the highest levels. In many cases, the participants in these developments were learning on the job, as they responded to community and political demands for better service delivery and more accountability. This paper looks back at some of those developments and proposes a schema to assess and place policies, strategies and programs.

Obesity ManagementVol. 3, No. 5 Original Papers“Cheapening the Struggle:” Obese People's Attitudes Towards The Biggest LoserSamantha Thomas, Jim Hyde, and Paul KomesaroffSamantha ThomasSearch for more papers by this author, Jim HydeSearch for more papers by this author, and Paul KomesaroffSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:2 Nov 2007https://doi.org/10.1089/obe.2007.0065AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited by“Do you find it normal to be so fat?” Weight stigma in obese gym users10 November 2021 | International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Vol. 57, No. 7The Malleability Narrative in Entertainment and Social Media: Explaining Pathways to Happiness in Media Content6 April 2020 | Communication Theory, Vol. 31, No. 3A Longitudinal Study on the Effects of Parasocial Relationships and Breakups With Characters of a Health-Related TV Show on Self-Efficacy and Exercise Behavior: The Case of The Biggest Loser20 September 2021 | Communication & Sport, Vol. 23“Unless you puke, faint, or die, keep going!” Exploring weight stigma in the gym on The Biggest Loser3 December 2018 | Fat Studies, Vol. 8, No. 2A Human Rights-Based Approach to the Social Good in Social Marketing27 March 2017 | Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 155, No. 3Audience Responses to Physical Activity in the Biggest Loser Australia28 December 2018 | Journal of Health Communication, Vol. 24, No. 1Men’s weight loss stories: How personal confession, responsibility and transformation work as social control12 August 2017 | Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine, Vol. 23, No. 1Weight Bias: Prejudice and Discrimination toward Overweight and Obese PeopleWorking hard on the outside: a multimodal critical discourse analysis of The Biggest Loser Australia17 January 2016 | Social Semiotics, Vol. 26, No. 5Edutainment’s Impact on Health Promotion3 November 2015 | Health Promotion Practice, Vol. 17, No. 1Exposure to Weight-Stigmatizing Media: Effects on Exercise Intentions, Motivation, and Behavior29 July 2015 | Journal of Health Communication, Vol. 20, No. 9Watching reality weight loss TV. The effects on body satisfaction, mood, and snack food consumptionAppetite, Vol. 91Visual portrayals of obesity in health media: promoting exercise without perpetuating weight bias26 June 2015 | Health Education Research, Vol. 30, No. 4Losing Weight on Reality TV: A Content Analysis of the Weight Loss Behaviors and Practices Portrayed on The Biggest Loser24 April 2015 | Journal of Health Communication, Vol. 20, No. 6Health literacy issues surrounding weight management among African American women: a mixed methods study1 June 2014 | Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Vol. 28Obesity in social media: a mixed methods analysis12 March 2014 | Translational Behavioral Medicine, Vol. 4, No. 3“At 150 kg, you can't run” men's weight loss stories in a popular health magazine provide appropriate examples of good health practice6 March 2014 | Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, Vol. 2, No. 1Diet versus exercise in “the biggest loser” weight loss competition9 April 2013 | Obesity, Vol. 21, No. 5No Clear Winner: Effects of The Biggest Loser on the Stigmatization of Obese PersonsHealth Communication, Vol. 28, No. 3ObesiTV: How television is influencing the obesity epidemicPhysiology & Behavior, Vol. 107, No. 1The Effects of Reality Television on Weight Bias: An Examination of The Biggest Loser10 September 2012 | Obesity, Vol. 20, No. 5Best practice principles for community-based obesity prevention: development, content and application6 September 2010 | Obesity Reviews, Vol. 12, No. 5Community Interventions-Planning for Sustainability5 May 2010‘Just Bloody Fat!’: A Qualitative Study of Body Image, Self-Esteem and Coping in Obese Adults30 January 2012 | International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol. 12, No. 1The Stigma of Obesity: A Review and Update6 September 2012 | Obesity, Vol. 17, No. 5"They all work...when you stick to them": A qualitative investigation of dieting, weight loss, and physical exercise, in obese individuals24 November 2008 | Nutrition Journal, Vol. 7, No. 1 Volume 3Issue 5Oct 2007 InformationCopyright 2007, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Samantha Thomas, Jim Hyde, and Paul Komesaroff.“Cheapening the Struggle:” Obese People's Attitudes Towards The Biggest Loser.Obesity Management.Oct 2007.210-215.http://doi.org/10.1089/obe.2007.0065Published in Volume: 3 Issue 5: November 2, 2007PDF download

: This technical note describes the results of a field demonstration to examine the effectiveness of combining endothall applied as Aquathol(registered) K with other aquatic herbicides for control of hydrilla. Concentrations and combinations were based on previous greenhouse trials conducted at the Lewisville Aquatic Ecosystem Research Facility (LAERF) in Lewisville, Texas, using Aquathol(registered) K, Reward(registered) (diquat), Hydrothol(registered) 191 (endothall) and Cutrine(registered)-Plus (chelated copper). The use of herbicide combinations is a widespread and documented practice in the agricultural community but is a less defined practice in aquatic vegetation management. Herbicide combinations may offer significant advantages over the use of a single material, including: improved and extended weed control, reduced herbicide rates and application costs, shorter contact times for improved results in flowing water, less stringent use restrictions, improved selectivity.

PURPOSE: This technical note describes the results of a field demonstration to examine the effectiveness of combining endothall applied as Aquathol® K with other aquatic herbicides for control of hydrilla. Concentrations and combinations were based on previous greenhouse trials conducted at the Lewisville Aquatic Ecosystem Research Facility (LAERF) in Lewisville, Texas, using Aquathol® K, Reward® (diquat), Hydrothol® 191 (endothall) and Cutrine®-Plus (chelated copper). BACKGROUND: The use of herbicide combinations is a widespread and documented practice in the agricultural community but is a less defined practice in aquatic vegetation management. Herbicide combinations may offer significant advantages over the use of a single material, including: • Improved and extended weed control. • Reduced herbicide rates and application costs. • Shorter contact times for improved results in flowing water. • Less stringent use restrictions. • Improved selectivity. While interest in the use of herbicide combinations is increasing with field applicators, little research has been conducted to evaluate effectiveness of these combinations. Identifying appro- priate herbicide rates and combinations is essential for efficient and effective aquatic weed control.