Healthism and the experiences of social, healthcare and self-stigma of women with higher weight

This study analyses how the discourse of healthism contributes to the social construction of weight stigma in women with higher-weight. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine women who had undergone bariatric surgery and had lived with higher-weight during many years. A thematic analysis from a latent and constructionist perspective showed how the discourse of healthism was behind the experiences of stigma lived by the participants in the social and healthcare field. Even instances of self-stigma were found in our data. This study also illustrates how people influenced by healthism assumed individualism and the importance of body shape, core values of neoliberal consumer societies. In this way, people tended to blame women with higher-weight for their weight and to discriminate against for being far from the socially established ideal body. The findings can be useful to prevent weight stigmatization and to promote more appropriate and respectful strategies for obesity prevention and treatment

Are Active Video Games Associated With Less Screen Media or Conventional Physical Activity?

This study analyzed the time adolescents spend on active video games, sedentary screen media, and conventional physical activity as well as the interrelationships between these variables. Data were collected from 570 Spanish adolescents (15-16 years old) who completed a self-report questionnaire. A path analysis was carried out to analyze the relationships among the different variables. Time in television, video games, and physical activity were higher in males than in females. The use of television and video games positively predicted the use of active video games, which positively predicted physical activity participation. The findings of this study show that sedentary screen media and physical activity are behaviors that can coexist. The promotion of active video games as part of general strategies for the promotion of physical activity could be desirable, but it is likely to contribute to physical activity levels in only a small way. This article finishes with some recommendations related to the use of active/inactive screen media and the promotion of physical activity