<p>The increasing use of plus-sized models in advertising campaigns is contributing to growing rates of obesity, a new study from Beedie School of Business in Canada has claimed.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The researchers found that as advertising campaigns increasingly use fewer images of models that are underweight and aesthetically flawless, the tactic can have a detrimental effect on the public's lifestyle and eating behaviour.<br /><br />"This study demonstrates that accepting larger bodies is associated with negative consequences, research also shows that 'fat-shaming' -- or stigmatising such bodies -- fails to improve motivation to lose weight," said study co-author Brent McFerran.<br /><br />The researchers conducted five experiments to see how subjects would react to cues suggesting that obesity was acceptable.<br /><br />In each instance the subjects displayed a greater actual consumption of unhealthy food and a reduced motivation to engage in a healthier lifestyle, driven by an increased belief that obesity was more socially acceptable.<br /><br />The study's authors posit that efforts to increase acceptance are resulting in increasing the amount of thought consumers put into their appearance and heightening body anxiety.<br /><br />"Neither accepting nor stigmatising larger bodies achieves the desired results, it would be beneficial for marketers to instead find a middle ground - using images of people with a healthy weight, and more importantly, refraining from drawing attention to the body size issue entirely," McFerran added.<br /><br />The study was published by the American Marketing Association's Journal of Public Policy and Marketing.</p>
<p>The increasing use of plus-sized models in advertising campaigns is contributing to growing rates of obesity, a new study from Beedie School of Business in Canada has claimed.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The researchers found that as advertising campaigns increasingly use fewer images of models that are underweight and aesthetically flawless, the tactic can have a detrimental effect on the public's lifestyle and eating behaviour.<br /><br />"This study demonstrates that accepting larger bodies is associated with negative consequences, research also shows that 'fat-shaming' -- or stigmatising such bodies -- fails to improve motivation to lose weight," said study co-author Brent McFerran.<br /><br />The researchers conducted five experiments to see how subjects would react to cues suggesting that obesity was acceptable.<br /><br />In each instance the subjects displayed a greater actual consumption of unhealthy food and a reduced motivation to engage in a healthier lifestyle, driven by an increased belief that obesity was more socially acceptable.<br /><br />The study's authors posit that efforts to increase acceptance are resulting in increasing the amount of thought consumers put into their appearance and heightening body anxiety.<br /><br />"Neither accepting nor stigmatising larger bodies achieves the desired results, it would be beneficial for marketers to instead find a middle ground - using images of people with a healthy weight, and more importantly, refraining from drawing attention to the body size issue entirely," McFerran added.<br /><br />The study was published by the American Marketing Association's Journal of Public Policy and Marketing.</p>