Should Cancer Research pull its latest advertising campaign? The billboards are supposed to raise awareness of the risks of obesity, but critics say they are unfairly targeting fat people.
‘Fat shaming’ cancer ad sparks obesity row
Should Cancer Research pull its latest advertising campaign? The billboards are supposed to raise awareness of the risks of obesity, but critics say they are unfairly targeting fat people.
In the latest campaign video by the charity Cancer Research, people on the streets of Britain are handed a white box in the shape of a cigarette packet. "What is the biggest preventable cause of cancer after smoking?" it asks. They try to guess. Drinking? Sunbeds?
Wrong. When they open the box, it contains chips. The answer is obesityThe medical condition of being very overweight. There are many ways of measuring this, including a BMI of 30 or more. (You can work out your BMI by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared.).
The video is part of a new campaign to raise awareness of the link between obesity and cancer. Across the country, white billboards pose the same question with a hangman-style answer: OB_S_ _Y.
The adverts have sparked a furious row on Twitter. Comedian Sofie HaganA Danish comedian who lives in the UK. slammed them as "damaging and fat shaming", and called for them to be removed.
In response, Cancer Research said the campaign was "not about fat shaming" but "based on scientific evidence". It pointed out that only 15% of people are aware of the link between obesity and cancer, and that it has a real duty to inform the public of that fact.
The campaign is partly based on new research, released last week, that millennials are set to become the "fattest generation of Britons" in history.
According to the charity, seven out of ten people born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s are on course to be "dangerously overweight" by the time they reach middle age.
This matters, because obesity has been linked to 13 different kinds of cancer. Although scientists do not know exactly what the cause is, they do know that too many fat cells in the body can lead to increased levels of insulinA hormone which controls blood sugar levels and helps your body to turn food into energy., inflammationA defense mechanism of the body to fight infection, usually characterized by redness, swelling, pain, and heat in the affected area. and oestrogenFemale sex hormones. After the menopause, these can increase the risk of cancer.. These all make cells divide faster, raising the risk of cancer.
However, some say that the health risks are used as an excuse to discriminate against fat people in the media, at work, and in doctor's surgeries. Obesity researcher Dr. Stuart Flint told the BBC that this stigma makes overweight people less likely to get healthy, and puts them at risk of mental health problems. He said that obesity is "chronicA condition which recurs over time, or lasts for several years.", and it is wrong to suggest that people can lose weight "very quickly".
<h5 class=" eplus-wrapper">So should the ads be stopped?</h5>
Yes, say some. They are part of a world which unfairly demonises fat people. Obesity is a complex health and social issue - but it is too often seen as a moral failure; fat people are blamed for being "lazy". This can lead to all sorts of mental health issues, including dangerous dieting and depression. Cancer Research should know better.
What an overreaction, argue others. The campaign is no different to raising awareness of the risks of smoking, another preventable cause of cancer. In this case, the underlying health issue is more important than whether the posters make people feel uncomfortable. It would be irresponsible to remove them.
Obesity - The medical condition of being very overweight. There are many ways of measuring this, including a BMI of 30 or more. (You can work out your BMI by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared.)
Sofie Hagan - A Danish comedian who lives in the UK.
Insulin - A hormone which controls blood sugar levels and helps your body to turn food into energy.
Inflammation - A defense mechanism of the body to fight infection, usually characterized by redness, swelling, pain, and heat in the affected area.
Oestrogen - Female sex hormones. After the menopause, these can increase the risk of cancer.
Chronic - A condition which recurs over time, or lasts for several years.
‘Fat shaming’ cancer ad sparks obesity row

Glossary
Obesity - The medical condition of being very overweight. There are many ways of measuring this, including a BMI of 30 or more. (You can work out your BMI by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared.)
Sofie Hagan - A Danish comedian who lives in the UK.
Insulin - A hormone which controls blood sugar levels and helps your body to turn food into energy.
Inflammation - A defense mechanism of the body to fight infection, usually characterized by redness, swelling, pain, and heat in the affected area.
Oestrogen - Female sex hormones. After the menopause, these can increase the risk of cancer.
Chronic - A condition which recurs over time, or lasts for several years.