Thinking outside the laboratory box : the individualization, surveillance, and moralization of obesity within <i>The Biggest Loser</i>

The purpose of this study is to better understand the ways in which scientific discourse contributes to the individualization and moralization of obesity, through reality television. Popular reality television programs emphasize the importance of lifestyle to health and wellness, often focusing on p...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Matthews, Natasha Nicole
Other Authors:	Biggs, Lesley
Format:	Others
Language:	en
Published:	University of Saskatchewan 2010
Subjects:	Surveillance The Biggest Loser Laboratory studies Individualization Moralization
Online Access:	http://library.usask.ca/theses/available/etd-07052010-120059/

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spelling	ndltd-USASK-oai-usask.ca-etd-07052010-1200592013-01-08T16:34:31Z Thinking outside the laboratory box : the individualization, surveillance, and moralization of obesity within <i>The Biggest Loser</i> Matthews, Natasha Nicole Surveillance The Biggest Loser Laboratory studies Individualization Moralization The purpose of this study is to better understand the ways in which scientific discourse contributes to the individualization and moralization of obesity, through reality television. Popular reality television programs emphasize the importance of lifestyle to health and wellness, often focusing on participant weight loss. Within this research, I describe the ways in which the obesity epidemic is approached in popular reality television, specifically in NBCs The Biggest Loser, and identify how the discourse of obesity is tied to issues of individualization, surveillance, and morality. Specifically, I undertake a laboratory study of The Biggest Loser to illustrate how this methodology can be extended from the traditional laboratory into a space of science that has no formal walls. With a focus on the seventh season of The Biggest Loser, I argue that the program is based on a human experiment that illustrates the interconnectedness of science and society, while perpetuating individualized and moralized obesity discourse. By conducting a laboratory study of a popular television program, I offer a new way to address obesity discourse Biggs, Lesley Poudrier, Jennifer Thomas-Maclean, Roanne Quinlan, Elizabeth University of Saskatchewan 2010-07-08 text application/pdf http://library.usask.ca/theses/available/etd-07052010-120059/ http://library.usask.ca/theses/available/etd-07052010-120059/ en unrestricted I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Saskatchewan or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report.
collection	NDLTD
language	en
format	Others
sources	NDLTD
topic	Surveillance The Biggest Loser Laboratory studies Individualization Moralization
spellingShingle	Surveillance The Biggest Loser Laboratory studies Individualization Moralization Matthews, Natasha Nicole Thinking outside the laboratory box : the individualization, surveillance, and moralization of obesity within <i>The Biggest Loser</i>
description	The purpose of this study is to better understand the ways in which scientific discourse contributes to the individualization and moralization of obesity, through reality television. Popular reality television programs emphasize the importance of lifestyle to health and wellness, often focusing on participant weight loss. Within this research, I describe the ways in which the obesity epidemic is approached in popular reality television, specifically in NBCs The Biggest Loser, and identify how the discourse of obesity is tied to issues of individualization, surveillance, and morality. Specifically, I undertake a laboratory study of The Biggest Loser to illustrate how this methodology can be extended from the traditional laboratory into a space of science that has no formal walls. With a focus on the seventh season of The Biggest Loser, I argue that the program is based on a human experiment that illustrates the interconnectedness of science and society, while perpetuating individualized and moralized obesity discourse. By conducting a laboratory study of a popular television program, I offer a new way to address obesity discourse
author2	Biggs, Lesley
author_facet	Biggs, Lesley Matthews, Natasha Nicole
author	Matthews, Natasha Nicole
author_sort	Matthews, Natasha Nicole
title	Thinking outside the laboratory box : the individualization, surveillance, and moralization of obesity within <i>The Biggest Loser</i>
title_short	Thinking outside the laboratory box : the individualization, surveillance, and moralization of obesity within <i>The Biggest Loser</i>
title_full	Thinking outside the laboratory box : the individualization, surveillance, and moralization of obesity within <i>The Biggest Loser</i>
title_fullStr	Thinking outside the laboratory box : the individualization, surveillance, and moralization of obesity within <i>The Biggest Loser</i>
title_full_unstemmed	Thinking outside the laboratory box : the individualization, surveillance, and moralization of obesity within <i>The Biggest Loser</i>
title_sort	thinking outside the laboratory box : the individualization, surveillance, and moralization of obesity within <i>the biggest loser</i>
publisher	University of Saskatchewan
publishDate	2010
url	http://library.usask.ca/theses/available/etd-07052010-120059/
work_keys_str_mv	AT matthewsnatashanicole thinkingoutsidethelaboratoryboxtheindividualizationsurveillanceandmoralizationofobesitywithinithebiggestloseri
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Thinking outside the laboratory box : the individualization, surveillance, and moralization of obesity within <i>The Biggest Loser</i>

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