The vital links between obesity and psychopathology : the impact of stigma

The increasing prevalence of obesity across the world is well documented as is the rise in psychopathological conditions. The association between obesity and psychopathology holds important implications for practitioners, academics and policy makers. Of interest is the influence of weight stigma in the development of psychopathological conditions. Thus, this article explores the link between psychopathology and obesity, in particular, the role of weight stigma in the development of psychopathology This review also highlights the implications for assessment, treatment and research

Disability Discrimination and Obesity: The Big Questions?

Obesity discrimination in employment and recruitment has become a topic of focus for research examination with increasing reports of discrimination by colleagues and managers. Whilst a limited number of legal cases have emerged, disability law is consulted in line with the expectation of anti-discriminatory practices at work. In line with disability law, whether obesity is defined as a disability or not has an impact on the outcome of a court ruling. Ambiguity when defining obesity through either the medical or social model means there are many questions that remain unanswered which might lead to inconsistency in court rulings

The Portrayal of Obesity in UK National Newspapers

Obesity is a major medical health challenge; however, the associated stigma represents a harmful and obstructive obstacle to treatment. The study purpose was to explore the portrayal of obesity in UK national newspapers. A purposive sample of 312 editions (weekday: n = 208; weekend: n = 104) from six newspapers (3 broadsheet; 3 tabloid) was analyzed. All text related to obesity was content analyzed. In total 349 articles were analyzed. Weight stigmatization and the portrayal of overweight and obesity as a moral digression were evident. Findings demonstrate that UK national newspapers attribute obesity to controllable causes. Caricatured portrayals of overweight and obesity was evident and may play a pivotal role in the formation and maintenance of anti-obesity attitudes

Weight stigma in frequent exercisers: Overt, demeaning and condescending.

The aim of this study was to qualitatively examine weight stigma in individuals who exercise frequently. In total, six focus groups, comprising 30 participants aged 18-25 years, were conducted using convenience sampling. All participants were frequent exercisers. Five themes emerged in the data with participants discussing bullying, the consequences of obesity, causes of obesity, lack of willpower and interventions to reduce obesity. This study is the first qualitative examination of weight stigmatisation in frequent exercisers, where the beliefs reported by focus group participants suggest that frequent exercisers stigmatise, discriminate and dehumanise obese people. Future research to examine the impact of weight stigma on exercise motivation and behaviour of obese people appears warranted

"It's not an Obvious Issue is it?" Office-Based Employees' Perceptions of Prolonged Sitting at Work: A Qualitative Study.

OBJECTIVE: Current UK workplace health promotion guidance recommends that employers minimize sedentary behaviors, but understanding the issues relating to prolonged workplace sitting has received little empirical attention. This study aimed to explore employees' perceptions of sitting time. METHODS: Participants at a small to medium-sized UK company were invited to join one of five focus groups. A framework analysis approach was used. RESULTS: Self-reported mean estimate of occupational sitting time was 6.4 hours/day with a mean estimate of leisure time sitting 6.5 hours/nonwork days. The study highlighted employees' lack of appreciation of the health risks associated with sedentary behavior. CONCLUSION: This study has highlighted that in addition to personal determinants, the workplace environment and organizational culture have a key role in supporting employees' potential adoption of healthier sitting behavior in the workplace

Examining Lower Limb Injuries among Male Amateur Soccer Player

Amateur players far outnumbered professional athletes, but they are often under shadowed in literatures. Unlike professional athletes, amateur players may not possess the resources, knowledge or guidance in treating sports injuries. Soccer is one of the popular sports with fewer literatures addressing amateur players. Quantitative method was used for data collection and analysis. The practical contribution of this study lies in terms of the exploring of risks factors leading to lower limb injuries, most common type and area of injuries faced by amateur soccer players in contrast with professional players. Preventive measures were also discussed. The implications of these findings are valuable to coaches, physical therapists and governments for understanding amateur players and arouse public awareness on health and safety

Validity and Reliability of Curl-Up Test on Assessing the Core Endurance for Kindergarten Children in Hong Kong

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the test-retest reliability and the criterion validity of a curlup test (CUT) as a measure of core stability, core endurance and dynamic stability in kindergarten children. CUT performance was also compared to half hold lying test (HHLT) and walking time on course (WTC) among without obstacle, with low obstacle and high obstacle measures of core stability, core endurance and dynamic stability. Methods: To estimate reliability, 33 males and 27 female kindergarten children (M aged=4.5 years old) performed the CUT on 2 different days. In the validity phase of the study, scores of all participants were obtained on three field test measures of core stability, core endurance and dynamic stability (CUT, HHLT and WTC). Results: Results indicate that the MCU test has no significant correlation on intra-class test-retest reliability (R=0.13, p>0.01). The criterion validity of the CUT for kindergarten children has is comparable to that of the HHLT(r=0.98, p<0.01) and WTC without obstacle(r=0.96, p<0.01), with low obstacle (r=0.96, p<0.01) and with high obstacle (r=0.98, p<0.01). Result indicates that the CUT test cannot produces reasonably accurate and stable measures of core stability, core endurance and dynamic stability. Conclusion: These preliminary findings provide evidences into the CUT test cannot produces reasonably accurate and stable measures of core stability, core endurance and dynamic stability for kindergarten children