Recommendations for the media The mass media play a significant role in shaping and defining social perceptions of particular issues. With this in mind, the media have an opportunity and responsibility to ensure that reporting is accurate. In order to help end weight stigma, we call on media outlets to take a strong leadership role on this issue and adopt the recommendations below. IMAGES LANGUAGE ✓ Media should use positive images which accurately ✓ Use people first language support their stories without exacerbating ✓ Review style guides and adopt positive language about misconceptions about people with obesity obesity and people with obesity ✓ Pictures of people with obesity should include their ✓ Avoid the use of language that is derogatory or whole body, rather than specific body parts with the pejorative head removed ✓ Use plain language to illustrate that obesity is ✓ Images that perpetuate stereotypes, such as people a health condition with obesity being sedentary, looking sad or isolated from other people, should be avoided ✓ Ensure reporting addresses the wider causes of obesity where relevant to the story and avoid the use of ✓ Picture agencies and other suppliers of images should language that implies individual blame. review the images they provide on obesity to ensure they do not exacerbate weight stigma ✓ Editors can download and use images from www.worldobesity.org/resources/image-bank. These havebeen carefully selected to avoid reinforcing negativestereotypes about obesity.