Body weight and social control in Australian media: panoptic and synoptic perspectives

To explore body weight in Australian media, media-related information was examined including: i) weight loss stories from a men’s health magazine; ii) the views and experiences of obese people in relation to news reporting of obesity and the ‘thin ideal’; and iii) a public health campaign. The interaction between public health data and media were considered. Findings indicate that body weight media messages act as a form of social control and have an impact on obese people. There are consequences of living with different body weights. A theoretical model that combines media and surveillance was used to understand the results. The findings can be used for weight-related public health initiatives.