Newspaper reporting on legislative and policy interventions to address obesity: United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom

Abstract

This article analyzes the content of articles in major newspapers in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom that discuss legislative and policy measures to control obesity. The aim was to identify and compare measures that attract media attention in the three jurisdictions: the tone of print media coverage, the characterization of obesity, and attitudes toward government interventions to address obesity. We collected 360 articles published between January 1989 and April 2009 in 12 major newspapers: 83 were published in the United States, 85 in Canada, and 192 in the United Kingdom. Articles in the three jurisdictions discussed the nature and causes of obesity in similar terms, but revealed differences in attitudes toward obesity and toward legal and policy interventions to control rising obesity rates. Obesity is reported principally as a lifestyle problem, but articles state (in varying proportions) that individuals, governments, and industry all share a role in addressing modern environments to promote healthier choices.

Appendix

Obesity Coding Frame

• 1 Story ID #

• 2 Newspaper?

  • The Globe and Mail=0

  • National Post=1

  • The Toronto Star=2

  • Winnipeg Free Press=3

  • The Daily Telegraph=4

  • Financial Times=5

  • The Guardian=6

  • The Times=7

  • Chicago Tribune=8

  • Los Angeles Times=9

  • The New York Times=10

  • USA Today=11

  • The Wall Street Journal=12

  • The Washington Post=13

• 3 Word Count

• 4 Date of Publication

• 5 Section of Newspaper (e.g. A1, B4, Life, Health)

• 6 News format?

  • Not specified=0

  • Article with latest news=1

  • Investigation, reportage, background=2

  • Interview (mainly)=3

  • Column, commentary by regular columnist=4

  • Editorial (paper's editor)=5

  • Commentary from other people (i.e., politicians, religious leaders, special interest groups)=6

  • Letters to the editor=7

  • Review of books, films, etc.=8

  • Other=9

• 7 Type of Intervention/Ban/Restriction? (choose all that apply)

  • Not Specified=0

  • Trans fat ban=1

  • Advertising restrictions=2

  • School based intervention=3

  • Work place intervention=4

  • Labeling initiative=5

  • Menu disclosure=6

  • Financial penalty/incentive=7

• 8 If school based intervention in previous question:

  • Not applicable=0

  • Vending machine related ban=1

  • Nutrition Standards for food in cafeterias=2

  • Nutrition Standards for homemade lunches=3

  • Exercise Initiatives=4

  • Other=5

• 9 Primary Theme of Story? (select up to three themes that are dominant in the story)

  • General obesity=1

  • Childhood obesity=2

  • Bans/restrictions (eg. Trans fat)=3

  • Advertising restrictions=4

  • School based intervention=5

  • Work place intervention=6

  • Labeling initiative=7

  • Menu disclosure=8

  • Financial penalty/incentive/taxes/increased costs=9

  • Education (brochures, initiatives)=10

• 10 Is the issue of autonomy or right of self-determination raised in the article?

  • No=0

  • Yes=1

• 11 What is the overall tone of the article?

  • Neutral=0

  • Negative=1

  • Positive=2

• 12 What is the main frame of the story in regards to interventions?

  • Neutral (descriptive or representing both sides)=0

  • Supporting/advocating intervention=1

  • Opposing/questioning intervention=2

• 13 Who is quoted (or who wrote the letter to the editor)?

  • None=0

  • Government/public officials=1

  • Health professionals=2

  • Public interest or advocacy group=3

  • Science expert=4

  • Industry representatives=5

  • Other citizens=6

• 14 Personal v. Public Action (only if obesity is specifically addressed)?

  • Not specified=0

  • Obesity framed primarily as matter of personal responsibility=1

  • Obesity framed primarily as matter requiring public action=2

  • Obesity framed primarily as matter requiring industry action=3

• 15 Characterization of obesity

  • Not specified=0

  • Obesity seen as disease=1

  • Obesity seen as lifestyle problem=2

  • Both

• 16 Attributed source of obesity (choose all that apply)

  • Not specified=0

  • Poor Eating habits=1

  • Lack of exercise=2

  • Genetics=3

  • Modern lifestyle or environment=4

• 17 Discussion of benefits of intervention

  • a Will help reduce rates of obesity

    • No=0

    • Yes=1

  • b Will promote/enable healthier choices/lifestyle

    • No=0

    • Yes=1

  • c Will promote more responsible industry behavior

    • No=0

    • Yes=1

  • d Will save resources spent on health care

    • No=0

    • Yes=1

• 18 Discussion of risk/cost?

  • a Too much government interventions/“nanny state”/“slippery slope”

    • No=0

    • Yes=1

  • b Regulatory/economic costs for industry

    • No=0

    • Yes=1

  • c Promote unhealthy obsession with weight

    • No=0

    • Yes=1

  • d Creates or perpetuates idea of “good” and “bad” foods

    • No=0

    • Yes=1

  • e Other=please list

• 19 Does the article mention specific government/policy reports on obesity?

  • No=0

  • Yes=1

• 20 If yes, which one? (Canadian Committee on Trans Fats, Senate Report on Childhood Obesity, WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health) – please list.