title: Pass the popcorn: "obesogenic" behaviors and stigma in children's movies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of obesity-related behaviors and attitudes in children's movies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A mixed-methods study of the top-grossing G- and PG-rated movies, 2006-2010 (4 per year) was performed. For each 10-min movie segment, the following were assessed: 1) prevalence of key nutrition and physical activity behaviors corresponding to the American Academy of Pediatrics obesity prevention recommendations for families; 2) prevalence of weight stigma; 3) assessment as healthy, unhealthy, or neutral; 3) free-text interpretations of stigma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Agreement between coders was >85% (Cohen's kappa = 0.7), good for binary responses. Segments with food depicted: exaggerated portion size (26%); unhealthy snacks (51%); sugar-sweetened beverages (19%). Screen time was also prevalent (40% of movies showed television; 35% computer; 20% video games). Unhealthy segments outnumbered healthy segments 2:1. Most (70%) of the movies included weight-related stigmatizing content (e.g., "That fat butt! Flabby arms! And this ridiculous belly!").
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These popular children's movies had significant "obesogenic" content, and most contained weight-based stigma. They present a mixed message to children, promoting unhealthy behaviors while stigmatizing the behaviors' possible effects. Further research is needed to determine the effects of such messages on children.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors: Elizabeth M
authors: EM
authors: Throop
authors: Asheley Cockrell
authors: AC
authors: Skinner
authors: Andrew J
authors: AJ
authors: Perrin
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Steiner
authors: Adebowale
authors: A
authors: Odulana
authors: Eliana M
authors: EM
authors: Perrin
mesh_terms: D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009040:Motion Pictures; D009043:Motor Activity; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012932:Social Facilitation; D057545:Social Stigma