Lay Theories of Obesity: Causes and Consequences

6 Both the scientific community and the general public have come to recognize the 7 increasing prevalence of obesity as a significant public health crisis. To help address this 8 issue, recent research has begun to explore lay theories of obesity—the mental models 9 that structure how non-experts think about the causes and consequences of the 10 condition. In this chapter, we develop an integrative review of the literature on lay 11 theories of obesity, drawing on research in public health, communications, and 12 psychology to illuminate the factors that shape beliefs and attitudes toward the 13 condition, as well as the consequences of specific lay theories for cognition and behavior. 14 At the individual level, we discuss how certain ways of thinking about obesity facilitate 15 obesity treatment and prevention. At the societal level, we discuss how certain ways of 16 thinking about obesity lead people to support (and oppose) specific types of obesity17 related policy interventions. We pay special attention to the role of narrative framing 18 and individual demographics in the etiology of lay beliefs and explore how particular 19 psychological mechanisms (e.g., empathy) can affect attributions and attitudes. 20