The Crippling Weight of Stigma: A Closer Look at a 2012 “Anti-Obesity” Campaign
It’s a special case study in how public health authorities do harm.
In January 2012, the New York City Health Department promoted a controversial “anti-obesity” campaign that was meant to bring attention to the dangers of “super-sized” portions commonly found in fast food restaurants and convenience stores, which are described as having grown over time. One image in particular was described as especially graphic — it featured a fat Black man sitting on a stool. His right leg appeared to be amputated. Crutches leaned dramatically against the wall behind him. It was later discovered that the man’s image was pulled from a stock photo and that he was not an amputee; the advertisement agency contracted by the Health Department had performed an amputation via Photoshop. The crutches had also been added through photo editing. This campaign, as well as the reactions to and criticism around it, present an opportunity to examine the substantial overlap between fat stigma and disability stigma, how these stigmas are weaponized by health authorities, as well as how, despite performed deference towards socially-focused approaches, public health actually ascribes to a medical model in its approach and conception of fatness and disability.
