Major Assignment 1
Major Assignment 1-Social Stigmas prompt
The Medical Myths News Outlet
Myths and Misconceptions Surrounding the Rising Epidemic Around Obesity
by Alyson Cresci
FRI 4TH of November 2022
Obesity is defined as an excessive or abnormal amount of fat accumulated in the body that may lead to health issues (“obesity”). Many myths and misconceptions about this disorder create harmful stigmas reinforced through media abuse.
In comedic movies and sitcoms, obesity is a stigma portrayed as a disorder in which the people who experience it hold no meaningful value and are often portrayed as goofy, awkward comedy relief. This portrayal in the media only helps play into the many myths and misconceptions surrounding obesity. Overweight characters are depicted as fat because they cannot control their eating habits, eat large amounts of unhealthy foods, and refuse to exercise. Many media sources like the movies Pitch Perfect, The Goonies, and the television show Friends have had a negative impact and reinforced a stigma against those struggling with obesity by making jokes about their weight, devaluing them as a person, and saying if people just exercised and ate healthily, they would be skinny.
In order to explore how negative portrayals of obesity reinforce stigma, I first want to draw attention to the article by Kathrine Bortz in which the epidemic of childhood obesity is discussed. The author addresses the rise of obesity in children and the importance of decreasing the stigma associated with it. In the movie The Goonies, the stigma, as well as its consequences, are displayed in the character “Chunk.” He is bullied by his friends and portrays many of the stereotypical characteristics a child with obesity is thought to have. I also draw upon the show Friends, where I witnessed more of the negative stigmas of childhood obesity. Monica Geller, a main character from the show Friends, was obese growing up, having few friends and poor self-esteem. This was largely due to bullying from friends and family. Alison Knopf’s article “Don’t Harm Children By Shaming Them For Obesity: Stigma Doesn’t Work Says, AAP” highlights the negative effects of treating a child who struggles with obesity in this manner. Finally, the article “Stigma, Bias against People with Obesity Can Harm Health.” by Lindsey Wahowiak helps to recognize and address many common stigmas people experience when dealing with obesity. This article helps to disprove many of the stigmas seen in the movie Pitch Perfect from 2012. The character “Fat Amy” showcases the stigmas of obese people by being lazy and fat shaming herself to outwit social bullying.
Through the depiction of these characters in the media and the harmful effects explained in the articles, I will show the negative consequences media has and how it is contributing to the epidemic of obesity.
Young children are experiencing bullying for their weight from their peers due to the media normalizing the stigma against those struggling with obesity and fueling the act of devaluing a person’s esteem in fault of their weight. As a result, this causes bullying to extend beyond peers to include friend groups, family members, and medical professionals. According to Bortz, “bullying within the school system can begin in young, preschool-aged children, where they may give negative attributes to children who have a larger body size. As children age, their risk of being targeted by bullies in verbal, physical, and relational manners increases as the child’s BMI increases” (12). Due to the media sensationalizing the idea that it is not only acceptable but funny to make jokes about someone’s weight, it also creates an environment where many children grow up thinking this behavior is allowed. However, many innocent children who experience bullying may develop hatred for going to school or being with children their own age because they do not want to experience those negative comments. In the movie The Goonies, even though they are friends, the overweight kid in the group is bullied into doing the “Truffle Shuffle”, a humiliating fat dance, before they will let him in the house (7:17-7:40). He is upset and does not want to do it, but eventually agrees because he wants to be accepted. This scene demonstrates how even so-called friends can bully the overweight one in the group.
In addition, The Goonies portray how being a child does not keep you safe from the taunting or bullying people endure due to their weight. Aside from the dance, his nickname in the group is “Chunk”. Another common behavior people engage in; assigning cruel weight-associated nicknames to people with obesity. Later in the movie, there is a scene in which another character suggests putting chocolate all over the floor and letting Chunk eat his way through as a joke (40:51-41:02). Chunk becomes furious at the constant teasing about his weight. While it may seem like funny and innocent humor to some people, it is very distressing to the person suffering the teasing. According to Bortz, “Despite the high prevalence of obesity among American children and adolescents, a considerable stigma surrounds the condition. The stigma, which can contribute to further mental healthrelated concerns, including eating disorders and depression in those with obesity, is not limited to only social interactions outside the health care setting” (10). Being overweight or obese can have a multitude of mental and physical ramifications for a child, which may become lifelong. Therefore experts recommend in order “To correctly target preventative and treatment methods, and to promote healthy discussion about weight, it is imperative that physicians and families understand the stigma associated with childhood obesity and how to better communicate with each other and with the child” (Bortz 12). Due to the heavy stigmatism placed on being obese by the media and how normalized the media makes jokes about someone’s weight, it can be hard for many to see how it should not be normalized or okay. Bully is wrong no matter what the reason behind it is. Unfortunately, for many children, people do not see the negative effect of their hateful comments, which can also be seen throughout the highly popular show Friends.
In this famous television show, Friends, the devaluing of a character due to weight can be seen many times throughout the seasons. Since Friends is a comedy, the writers thought one way to optimize the jokes would be to have one of the characters be fat when they were in high school. During one particular episode, they all expressed a “what if circumstance” about their life that could have potentially actually happened. For the character Monica, it was what if she did not lose weight. At the beginning of episode 15 in season 6, “The One That Could Have Been Part 1”, she talks about how different her life would be if she did not lose weight and states how her current boyfriend definitely would not be dating her if she was still fat. This helps to perpetuate the idea that fat people have no self-worth or value to society. Her boyfriend Chandler says he would still date her and asks everyone if they thought he was “that shallow.” Then Monica’s brother, Ross, cuts him off by saying, “No, I just think Monica was that fat” (1:08-1:23). This statement is extremely mentally damaging to many people by insinuating someone with obesity can not find love and no one would possibly want to date them. Knopf argues, “Weight stigma contributes to binge eating, social isolation, decreased physical activity, avoidance of health care services, and increased weight gain. Instead of motivating change, stigma does the opposite”(1). While TV shows like Friends make light of obesity, they are contributing to the stigma and making the ability of someone to overcome it much harder. Especially with the high popularity of friends having 52.2 million views on its finale (Williams). Therefore, it is extremely important the media stops stigmatizing obesity as it is teaching such a large audience that bullying someone about their weight is okay and comedic.
Later in this episode, Monica is portrayed as someone with obesity sitting at the kitchen table, eating frosting out of a container. Monica’s friend Pheobe yells from the bedroom, and in a panic, Monica jumps up, concerned Pheobe sat on her Kit Kat (9:17-9:32). This scene continues to make fun of and belittle people suffering from obesity as if the only thing they care only about is food and nothing else matters to them. Shaming people because of their weight has a detrimental effect and only exacerbates the problem. Medical professionals can help create much-needed change with the stigma. According to Knopf, “It is important that pediatricians and pediatric health care professionals advocate for a responsible and respectful portrayal of individuals with obesity in the media”(7). Healthcare professionals know the long-term risk factors associated with obesity and are in a position of power and play an important role in helping to decrease the stigma so people will feel less afraid to get the help they need to live healthier lives. Without support, there are many physical and mental health consequences that can become lifelong battles for some people.
Many overweight adults and adolescents use jokes as a coping mechanism. Pitch Perfect, the popular romance and comedy movie of 2012, follows the Barden Bellas, an acapella group. One of the girls, played by Rebel Wilson, within the group introduces herself to others as Fat Amy as a defense mechanism as she struggles with being overweight and is surrounded by skinny girls. Fat Amy does this to protect herself from experiencing bullying to her face or behind her back. Fat Amy knows people will shame her for her weight so she rather have control over what is being said. Many may believe their words may inspire someone to lose weight “But there is one topic related to obesity where time and time again, researchers agree: Shaming people with obesity does not help them lose weight. In fact, shaming, stigma, and biased have been linked to poorer health outcomes” (Wahowiak 1). Through this article, it is truthful to state that individuals with obesity struggle more with their weight due to shaming and are less likely to seek appropriate healthcare. Alluding to a misconception people who are overweight do not like and/or are incapable of exercising. Then due to the misconception that someone is lazy, it is their fault, and the lack of exercise is the reason why they are obese to begin with. Along with the idea they are less healthy than thinner people. Digging a deeper hole for people who suffer from obesity damages their motivation of wanting to overcome their disorder. This was also displayed in the movie for comedy relief when Fat Amy refused to do cardio when they were preparing for their performance. It is a false representation of what leads to obesity because it’s saying overweight people don’t work out and choose not to do cardio, and that’s why they are overweight. Wahowiak argues, “Perhaps people can both have obesity and be metabolically healthy and fit with no higher risk than people of normal weight, according to 2012 research from the European Society of Cardiology” (1). There are people who are overweight who are healthy and fit. In the movie, while Fat Amy refused to do the cardio, she also performed in many scenes singing and dancing, which both require a person to be physically fit. The message relayed in this scene is to make the viewer feel obesity is okay if you make it into a joke or make fun of someone because of it. There is a general belief in society people tend to enjoy it when jokes are made about someone who is overweight and often correlates it to extreme laziness.
Stigmas related to obesity, such as extreme laziness, overeating, and unhealthy eating habits, are often portrayed in the media for comedic purposes. This contributes to the epidemic of obesity in our society. People need to feel supported to seek the appropriate care. Multiple different body types exist throughout this world, and important to note just because someone appears overweight does not necessarily mean they are unhealthy. Bullying someone based on body size is playing into stereotypes, and it may not be something the person can change. For those who have health issues related to being overweight, these stigmas may prevent them from seeking the health care they need. In both instances, these stigmas can result in mental health issues and make life much harder for the individual being bullied.
sources:
Bortz, Katherine. “More treatment options, less stigma needed for children with obesity.” Infectious Diseases in Children, vol. 31, no. 6, 2018, pp. 1-12. ProQuest, https://libdatabase.newpaltz.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/trade-journals/more-treatment-options-less-stigma-needed/docview/2191286202/se-2.
Knopf, Alison. “Don’t Harm Children by Shaming Them for Obesity; Stigma Doesn’t Work, Says AAP.” Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter, vol. 34, no. 1, Jan. 2018, pp. 1–7. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.libdatabase.newpaltz.edu/10.1002/cbl.30263.
“Obesity and Overweight.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization,
The Goonies. Directed by Richard Donner, Warner Bros. Pictures, 1985. https://youtu.be/t5whaRkuipU
“The One That Could Have Been Part 1” Friends, Season 6, Episode 15, written by Mart Kauffman & David Crane, directed by James Burrows, NBC, 1994. https://youtu.be/vkBrgKI9-1c
Pitch Perfect. Directed by Jason Moore, Universal Pictures, 2012. https://youtu.be/o-tuw9rH8HE
Wahowiak, Lindsey. “Stigma, Bias against People with Obesity Can Harm Health.” Nation’s Health, vol. 47, no. 8, Oct. 2017, pp. 1–14. EBSCOhost, https://search-ebscohost-com.libdatabase.newpaltz.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=125529729&site=ehost-live.
Williams, Jordan. “Friends’ Record-Breaking Episode Explained (It Wasn’t the Series Finale).” ScreenRant, 18 Sept. 2022, https://screenrant.com/friends-episode-most-watched-not-series-finale/#:~:text=Friends’%20season%2010%20ending%20became,*H%20(106%20million).