Welcome

Name: Tara Coltman-Patel

PhD: Linguistics 

Thesis Title: Weight Stigma in Britain: The Linguistic Representation of Obesity in Newspapers

Thesis Description:

My data consists of every newspaper article written about obesity in a British National newspaper from 2006-2016. I am combining quantitative, qualitative and ethnographic research methods to analyse the language used in reference to obesity and to understand how this language influences public perceptions of obesity. 

Supervisors and Institution(s): 

Dr Natalie Braber - Nottingham Trent University

Dr David Wright - Nottingham Trent University

Dr Judy Swift - University of Nottingham

Publications (please include full details with page nos. or web links):

• Weight Stigma in the Media: The Current Use of Imagery and Language in the Media. October 2018. A report co-authored with Hannah Brinsden from The World Obesity Federation and an academic named Kate Sievert for the World Obesity Day 2018 campaign to End Weight Stigma. https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/43c091_9b48437d657343c595c3acfe10173c9d.pdf 
• Weight Stigma: Five Unspoken Truths. The Conversation. October 2018. https://theconversation.com/weight-stigma-five-unspoken-truths-104074
• How Everyday Language Casually Stigmatises Obesity. The Conversation. September 2017. https://theconversation.com/how-everyday-language-casually-stigmatises-obesity-and-what-to-do-about-it-83860
• The Immeasurable Power of Words: Weight Stigmas within Society – Blog post for World Obesity, December 2016. http://www.worldobesity.org/news/wo-blog/january-2017/weight-stigmas-within-society/

Scholarly / Public Engagement Activities:

Year 2018

• • The Metaphorical Representation of Weight in the Media - Paper presented at the 6th International Weight Stigma Conference at Leeds Beckett University - June 2018

Year: 2017

• • The Terrifying Tale of Obesity: Analysing the Media’s Power of Persuasion and Influence - Paper presented at the Nottingham Trent Post Graduate Arts and Humanities Work in Progress seminar - November 2017
  • The Terrifying Tale of Obesity: Analysing the Media’s Power of Persuasion and Influence - Paper presented at the BAAL Health & Science Communication SIG workshop at Lancaster University - November 2017.
  • The Terrifying Tale of Obesity: Analysing the Media’s Power of Persuasion and Influence - A session given at Nottingham Trent University to year 13’s from Rushcliffe and Arnold High School - September 2017.
  • Weight Stigmas in Britain: The Linguistic Representation of Obesity in Newspapers - Nottingham Trent College Conference – July 2017. 

Year: 2016

• • The Linguistic Representation of Obesity in British Press - Nottingham Trent University Three Minute Thesis Challenge – December 2016

Year: 2015

• • Creating and Maintaining Identities in Political Discourse - Poster presentation at the Corpus Linguistics Beyond Boundaries Symposium, University of Nottingham - July 2015

Other Research Interests:

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