Subversive scholarship or anti-intellectual identity politics? An analysis of media frames of fat studies

Abstract

ABSTRACTFat studies courses have emerged on college campuses during a time when the paradigm of the “obesity epidemic” dominates scientific and public discourses. Although scholars have assessed the media’s framing of fat and the “obesity epidemic,” research has yet to examine media frames of fat studies courses. Using data from LexisNexis and Google News, the authors analyze news media frames of fat studies. Our results indicate fat studies is nearly invisible in the media. However, fat studies is receiving some positive media coverage via articles written by fat studies scholars and activists, despite resistance from both conservatives and proponents of the “obesity epidemic” paradigm. The authors contend that fat studies scholars should continue to not only engage in fat studies pedagogy and communicate their research findings, but also implore journalists to conduct neutrality in reporting and the public to critically evaluate media sources.