1 O'Brien KS

Latner JD

Halberstadt J

Hunter JA

Anderson J

Caputi P Do antifat attitudes predict antifat behaviors?. 2 Vartanian LR

Novak SA Internalized societal attitudes moderate the impact of weight stigma on avoidance of exercise. , 3 Puhl RM

Brownell KD Confronting and coping with weight stigma: an investigation of overweight and obese adults. During 2017, a substantial number of media articles were published in the UK and elsewhere that stigmatise and discriminate against people with overweight and obesity. Such articles can be read by millions of people, in print and online. Given that weight stigma attitudes predict discriminatory behaviours,the role of the media is deeply concerning. For the direct and indirect targets of weight stigma, such attitudes can have profound effects on their physical and mental health.

4 Flint SW

Hudson J

Lavallee D The portrayal of obesity in UK national newspapers. , 5 Heuer CA

McClure KJ

Puhl RM Obesity stigma in online news: a visual content analysis. The media portrayal of obesity—often stigmatising and inaccurate—is influential and insidious to popular belief. Yet publishers and editors rarely challenge this media content, and so a stream of derogatory articles floods into mainstream media.

6 Coren G Heffalump traps will clear the NHS of fatties. 7 Freeman H Why I refuse to let my daughter be taught by a fat teacher: writer Hilary Freeman says it is time for some home truths about obesity. 8 Elliot T Obese? You're probably too lazy to exercise. 9 Coren G Man & boy: Giles Coren “I don't care what my son becomes… as long as he isn't overweight”. The first example, published by The Times—“Heffalump traps will clear the NHS of fatties”—deemed obesity to be caused solely by controllable lifestyle behaviours, contrary to empirical evidence. In the second, a Daily Mail article entitled “Why I refuse to let my daughter be taught by a fat teacher”,a mother was interviewed about her decision to stop her child attending a nursery because she perceived staff to be overweight. Third, in the Herald Sun (Australia), entitled “Obese? You're probably too lazy to exercise”,stated that laziness is the main cause of obesity. Finally—and most notably—in Esquire, an abhorrent article (since removed from the website) included the deplorable remark “I'd kill them all and render them down into candles”;with “them” referring to people with overweight and obesity. These articles reinforce that weight stigmatisation and discrimination is acceptable, and thus endorse and encourage such societal beliefs.

10 Society of Professional Journalists

Code of ethics. Panel Challenging the role of the media in weight stigma and discrimination We call on the media to • 10 Society of Professional Journalists

Code of ethics. 11 National Union of Journalists

NUJ code of conduct. Adhere to the national journalism societies such as the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics,which states that journalists should avoid stereotyping and examine the ways in which their values might shape their reporting, and the National Union of Journalists code of conduct,which emphasises that journalists should not produce material likely to lead to hatred or discrimination

• Accurately portray obesity

• Refrain from publishing articles that stigmatise and discriminate against people with obesity

• Use non-stigmatising images when reporting on obesity

• Take the opportunity—where stigma and discrimination are reported—to condemn such behaviour, as has been done for other topics (eg, mental health) It is crucial that the media portrayal of obesity becomes non-stigmatising ( panel ). Media sources do not adhere to the ethical standards of the Society of Professional Journalistswhen reporting on obesity. Instead, perhaps counterintuitively, they promote weight stigma and discrimination. Collaborative and proactive work is needed to reduce the weight stigma and discrimination evidenced across society.

We call on everybody to speak out against discrimination of all kinds, including weight status. Fortunately, recent history tells us that stigma and discrimination can be successfully challenged through improved understanding, policy, and legislation. While there are still reports, it is no longer acceptable, for example, to stigmatise people on the basis of sex, ethnic origin, and mental health, and although there is still some way to go, the media have played a fundamental part in helping to reshape popular beliefs. This commitment is now needed to shift the narrative around overweight and obesity.

We declare no competing interests.