Words matter.  We were reminded of just how important that thought is earlier this month at a discussion held jointly by the STOP Obesity Alliance and the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) on the role of the media in shaping the policy environment surrounding weight and health.

We were fortunate to have Susan Dentzer of Health Affairs leading the conversation.  The panelists - representing the research community, media and experts in weight and food policy - all seemed to agree that unrealistic and uninformed media portrayals about weight have a significant effect on policymakers that may reinforce approaches to obesity that are actually counterproductive.  The single most important issue is keying in on health rather than appearance. 

The Washington, DC meeting followed a session we co-hosted with NEDA last year in New York City where we focused specifically on the media and then created recommendations for ways media could more responsibly communicate about weight and health. Those recommendations, released at the end of 2010, included a range of suggestions for ways media could reshape the conversation on weight, including covering the topic in ways that communicate:

• Weight is about health
• Incremental and sustained weight loss is safe, healthy and advisable
• Weight status doesn't necessarily reflect health status
• It takes more than willpower to lose weight
• BMI is one of many factors in determining a person's weight as it relates to health
• Body size and shape are chiefly determined by inherited factors and strongly influenced by a person's environment

We kicked off the Capitol Hill discussion where we ended the last one, by reviewing a media analysis that looked at two types of media through the lens of the recommended framework and focused on publications with an "Inside the Beltway" audience and those with an "Outside the Beltway" audience.

Overall, the analysis concluded that there is great room for improvement in how the media conveys messages about health and weight across both media types.  While each of the categories picked up on the "weight and health" theme, the Beltway outlets were much more likely to discuss factors beyond willpower that play a role in a person's weight and health - as well as the more societal impacts of obesity, such as health care costs.

The dialogue among the panelists was really interesting. They noted that for both disordered eating and obesity there is no "one size fits all" approach to address conditions caused by a complexity of factors.  Just as different cancers are treated differently, policymakers need to understand that people develop obesity and disordered eating in many different ways, which call for a myriad of accessible solutions.

With so much knowledge about the problem, I wonder what will finally make a real difference. In Washington, we often think that huge economic impact will be a tipping point to action.  But while there are many existing studies showing the economic impact of weight-related health issues, we are only just beginning to see coordinated policy approaches - a trend that began with passage of the Affordable Care Act.

We have a lot of work left, but one key thing we can all do is to continually reinforce the important message that these issues are health issues not image issues. 

Sincerely,

Christine C. Ferguson, J.D.

Director, STOP Obesity Alliance
Professor, School of Public Health and Health Services
Department of Health Policy
The George Washington University