I received an email today from the Journal of Childhood Obesity to submit an article on any topic related to obesity in children. I hadn’t heard of the journal previously, so I went to their website. My first impression? Negative.

At their home page, the main image is that of a young boy stuffing his face with fast food, which is precisely the sort of thing we (researchers, clinicians, advocates for children and families) should work to avoid.

There is a lot of evidence to show that bias and stigma can have a negative impact on the health and well-being of individuals with obesity. Organizations including the Canadian Obesity Network and The Obesity Society have adopted person-first language and guidelines for how people with obesity should (and should not) be portrayed in the media. If you’d like to encourage this new Journal in our field to follow the lead of the CON and TOS to be more person-centred and avoid perpetuating weight-related bias and stereotypes, you can send them a brief note here.

GB