Output list
Conference paper
Gender matters; A multimodal discourse analysis of work and winning on The Biggest Loser
Published 2013
BPS Psychology of Women Section Annual Conference, 10/07/2013–12/07/2013, Cumberland Lodge, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 2HP, UK,
Abstract not available
Conference paper
Mixed messages: A multimodal analysis of the criteria for ‘success’ in The Biggest Loser
Published 2013
International Society of Critical Health Psychology 8th Biennial conference, 23/07/2013, Bradford, United Kingdom
The Biggest Loser is reality television’s most enduring response to the ‘obesity epidemic’. The program is framed as a well-founded health intervention and employs widely accepted beliefs relating to nutrition and exercise. In this way it is able to trade on the lives and experiences of ‘obese’ contestants with apparent legitimacy. But not only are the weight loss methods problematic and questionable, the messages conveyed through editing choices such as lighting, camera angles and timing reinforce and perpetuate negative stereotypes about overweight and obese individuals and establish prescriptive criteria for success, not just for weight loss but for life. By applying multimodal discursive analysis to the finale of the 2012 Australian season of The Biggest Loser it is apparent that beneath the ostensible focus on health are messages that feed into anti-obesity discourse and discrimination, and potentially impact the lived experiences of fat people.