Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
Health

Are Plus-Sized Models In Ads Prompting Obesity?

Darpan News Desk IANS, 10 Dec, 2015 11:42 AM
    The increasing use of plus-sized models in advertising campaigns is contributing to growing rates of obesity, a new study from Beedie School of Business in Canada has claimed.
     
    The researchers found that as advertising campaigns increasingly use fewer images of models that are underweight and aesthetically flawless, the tactic can have a detrimental effect on the public's lifestyle and eating behaviour.
     
    "This study demonstrates that accepting larger bodies is associated with negative consequences, research also shows that 'fat-shaming' -- or stigmatising such bodies -- fails to improve motivation to lose weight," said study co-author Brent McFerran.
     
    The researchers conducted five experiments to see how subjects would react to cues suggesting that obesity was acceptable.
     
    In each instance the subjects displayed a greater actual consumption of unhealthy food and a reduced motivation to engage in a healthier lifestyle, driven by an increased belief that obesity was more socially acceptable.
     
     
    The study's authors posit that efforts to increase acceptance are resulting in increasing the amount of thought consumers put into their appearance and heightening body anxiety.
     
    "Neither accepting nor stigmatising larger bodies achieves the desired results, it would be beneficial for marketers to instead find a middle ground - using images of people with a healthy weight, and more importantly, refraining from drawing attention to the body size issue entirely," McFerran added.
     
    The study was published by the American Marketing Association's Journal of Public Policy and Marketing.

    MORE Health ARTICLES

    Federal Government Moving To Ban Microbeads In Personal Care Products

    Federal Government Moving To Ban Microbeads In Personal Care Products
    TORONTO — The federal government says it's developing regulations to ban the use plastic microbeads in personal care products.

    Federal Government Moving To Ban Microbeads In Personal Care Products

    Abortion Pill RU-486 Approved By Health Canada After 2 1/2 Year Review

    Abortion Pill RU-486 Approved By Health Canada After 2 1/2 Year Review
     Women will need to obtain a prescription from a doctor to purchase the drug.

    Abortion Pill RU-486 Approved By Health Canada After 2 1/2 Year Review

    Diabetic? Don't Skip Breakfast

    Diabetic? Don't Skip Breakfast
    Fasting until noon triggers major blood sugar spikes and impairs the insulin responses of Type-2 diabetics throughout the rest of the day, the researchers said.

    Diabetic? Don't Skip Breakfast

    Love Drinking? Raise A Toast To Moderation

    Love Drinking? Raise A Toast To Moderation
    Have you heard of "Holiday Heart Syndrome"? It happens when a non-drinker or a light drinker gives in to the weekend party mood and goes on a drinking spree.

    Love Drinking? Raise A Toast To Moderation

    South Asians In US Reluctant To Report Pain

    South Asians In US Reluctant To Report Pain
    South Asians living in the US are more reluctant than other ethnicities to report pain as well as seek medication to treat the pain they experience near the end of their lives, says a new study led by an Indian-origin researcher.

    South Asians In US Reluctant To Report Pain

    South Asians In US More Prone To Heart Attacks, Diabetes

    South Asians In US More Prone To Heart Attacks, Diabetes
    South Asians in US are more prone to heart attacks and diabetes when compared to other ethnic groups, it was highlighted at a health congress here.

    South Asians In US More Prone To Heart Attacks, Diabetes