Grant: CIHR Fellowship

The past decade has witnessed a proliferation of obesity studies in the scientific realm and an explosion of media messages expressing concern about a growing 'obesity epidemic.' Scholars have identified a dominant 'obesity discourse' in this literature that assumes a link between inactivity, over-eating, obesity and ill health - and often constructs obese people as 'lazy' and a drain upon society (Gard & Wright, 2005). They have also challenged the emergence of new normalizing practices that entreat individuals to regulate their bodies to prevent obesity, mainly by making individual lifestyle changes (i.e., diet, exercise). Pregnancy has recently been identified as a major contributor to obesity in Western society and pregnant bodies have become the object of these normalizing practices. Prenatal exercise has thus taken on new significance and pregnant women are now being encouraged to engage in moderate exercise to prevent overweight/obesity in both the mother and child. Significantly, this advice counters long-standing cautions against exercise during pregnancy, resulting in a potentially confusing and anxiety-arousing situation for expectant women who are already under social pressure to manage a growing number of pregnancy risks. Despite the increased attention to the issue of overweight/obesity during pregnancy, lacking is an investigation of how societal messages on the topic impact the subjectivities and experiences of pregnant Canadian women. We therefore propose to use qualitative interview techniques to explore how 40 women of varying socio-cultural locations (i.e., race, ethnicity, class), and who perceive themselves as having 'weight issues,' discursively construct and experience the body and health. This project promises to aid in the creation of more inclusive health promotion programs and messages, with the goal of increasing pregnant women's emotional and physical health, fostering positive body image and promoting pleasurable physical activity.