Looking good and feeling better. Healthism in weight loss apps

Abstract

Healthism is a discourse in which health is moralised, placing responsibility on individuals to maintain their health and, therefore, actively work towards it. Within this context, weight loss apps in app stores are presented as tools for users to achieve their desired state of health. Consequently, weight and fat are problematised, which can lead to stigmatising effects on overweight individuals. This study aims to analyse the descriptors used in 95 weight loss applications through thematic analysis. As their discourses have a clear persuasive intent, it is essential to identify their health-promoting components. The results have shown four ways in which this type of health discourse is perpetuated: (1) emphasising the use of body mass index as an indicator of health status; (2) attributing poor lifestyle habits to overweight individuals; (3) associating thinness with health and health with beauty; (4) equating thinness with wellbeing, wellbeing with happiness, and being overweight with unhappiness. Therefore, identifying these types of components is crucial for health professionals, app users, and developers to avoid perpetuating stereotypes related to weight and body size.