Motivating or stigmatising? The public health and media messaging surrounding COVID-19 and obesity: A qualitative think-aloud study

Purpose: To explore how individuals with overweight and obesity living in the UK respond to the public health and media messaging surrounding COVID-19 and obesity.Design: Qualitative interview study with a think-aloud protocol. 10 participants self-reported to have overweight, obesity, or as actively trying to lose weight were recruited through social media, were asked to think-aloud whilst exposed to four sets of public health and media materials describing the link between COVID-19 and obesity. Interviews were conducted over zoom, recorded and transcribed verbatim.Findings: Three primary themes were identified through thematic analysis: ‘flawed messaging’, ‘COVID-19 as a teachable moment’, and ‘barriers to change’. Transcending these themes was the notion of balance. Whilst the messaging around COVID-19 and obesity was deemed problematic, for some it was a teachable moment to facilitate change when their future self and physical health was prioritised. Yet, when focusing on their mental health in the present participants felt more overwhelmed by the barriers and were less likely to take the opportunity to change.Originality: This study offers a novel and useful insight into how the public health and media messaging concerning COVID-19 risk and obesity is perceived by those with overweight and obesity.Practical implications: Findings hold implications for public health messaging, highlighting the need for balance between being educational and informative but also supportive, so as to achieve maximum efficacy