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Cited by 278Obesity and Health PracticesObesity, Physical Activity, DietPublic Health Policies and Education

Obesity Metaphors: How Beliefs about the Causes of Obesity Affect Support for Public Policy

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BARRY, COLLEEN L., BRESCOLL, VICTORIA L., BROWNELL, KELLY D., SCHLESINGER, MARK·2009·The Milbank Quarterly
DOI 10.1111/j.1468-0009.2009.00546.xPMC PMC2879183
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Abstract

CONTEXT: Relatively little is known about the factors shaping public attitudes toward obesity as a policy concern. This study examines whether individuals' beliefs about the causes of obesity affect their support for policies aimed at stemming obesity rates. This article identifies a unique role of metaphor-based beliefs, as distinct from conventional political attitudes, in explaining support for obesity policies. METHODS: This article used the Yale Rudd Center Public Opinion on Obesity Survey, a nationally representative web sample surveyed from the Knowledge Networks panel in 2006/07 (N = 1,009). The study examines how respondents' demographic and health characteristics, political attitudes, and agreement with seven obesity metaphors affect support for sixteen policies to reduce obesity rates. FINDINGS: Including obesity metaphors in regression models helps explain public support for policies to curb obesity beyond levels attributable solely to demographic, health, and political characteristics. The metaphors that people use to understand rising obesity rates are strong predictors of support for public policy, and their influence varies across different types of policy interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Over the last five years, the United States has begun to grapple with the implications of dramatically escalating rates of obesity. Individuals use metaphors to better understand increasing rates of obesity, and obesity metaphors are independent and powerful predictors of support for public policies to curb obesity. Metaphorical reasoning also offers a potential framework for using strategic issue framing to shift support for obesity policies.

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  • Some illnesses are embedded with cultural meaning not directly derived from the nature of the condition, and this meaning shapes societal response and influences illness experience.

    “First, some illnesses are particularly embedded with cultural meaning-which is not directly derived from the nature of the condition-that shapes how society responds to those afflicted and influences the experience of that illness.”

    From The Social Construction of Illness: Key Insights and Policy Implications (2010) · cites this paper as Barry et al. 2009

    The introductory discussion of illness metaphors and the “Reasoning by Metaphor” section show how meanings attached to health conditions shape public attitudes and policy responses. The “Obesity Metaphors” section also describes how people who are overweight may be treated badly in work and social settings. The paper does not establish the broader claim that such meanings are independent of a condition’s nature or generally shape the experience of illness. Page numbers were unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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2 of the 45 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Baker, L., M.K. Bundorf, S. Singer, and T. Wadner. 2003. Validity of the Survey of Health and Internet and Knowledge Network's Panel and Sampling. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press.
  2. Gamson, W.A. 1992. Talking Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  3. Lau, R.R., and M. Schlesinger. 2005. The Impact of Metaphorical Rea- soning on Support for Public Policies. Political Psychology 26(1):77- 114.
  4. Mintz, S. 1997. Sugar and Morality. In Morality and Health, edited by A.M. Brandt and P. Rozin, pp. 173-84. New York: Routledge.

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Authors
BARRY, C. L., BRESCOLL, V. L., BROWNELL, K. D., & SCHLESINGER, M.
Affiliations
Yale University (US)
Corresponding author
BARRY, COLLEEN L.
ORCID
Venue
The Milbank Quarterly
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2009-03
Volume
87
Issue
1
Pages
7-47
ISSN
  • 0887-378X (ISSN-L)
  • 1468-0009
DOI
10.1111/j.1468-0009.2009.00546.x
PMC
PMC2879183
OpenAlex
W2157927542
Cited by
278
References
45
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 34 · 2012: 23
FWCI
49.21
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor, 10 d)
Locations
  • Milbank Quarterly (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  • Yale University
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Obesity and Health Practices
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Public Health Policies and Education
Keywords
obesity, public opinion, causal beliefs, public policy support, obesity prevention policy, political attitudes, issue framing, metaphorical reasoning, health policy
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Connecticut, Female, Health Promotion, Humans, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity, Pilot Projects, Public Opinion, Public Policy, Surveys and Questionnaires, Risk Factors, United States, Logistic Models, Metaphor, Overweight, Young Adult

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