Fat Bodies Made Small: A Content Analysis of Fat Literature Classed in Medicine

This study is a content analysis of print materials about fatness classed in Medicine according to the Library of Congress Subject Headings and Classification. Research about the marginalizing power of information systems has centered around gender identity, sexuality, race, non-dominant cultures, and disability, while fat bodies have been largely overlooked. Previous literature on information organization principles, critical cataloging, and fat stigma are reviewed. A qualitative content analysis of fatness in print materials across four class numbers shelved in Davis Library at the University of North Carolina follows. Titles, tables of contents, introductory material, and cover images and summaries are coded for problem and blame frames, attitude, and class. This study brings awareness to the stigmatization of fat bodies by information organization standards and shows the need for new subject headings and class numbers for fat materials.Master of Science in Library Scienc