A lot has been done to address stigma in areas like mental health and disability but there has been less focus on obesity. Yet weight stigma is the single largest driver of obesity in Australia, with shame and social attitudes often preventing help-seeking behaviour and participation in social life. The Obesity Collective asked us to analyse the target audience and find a way to help the community see the deeper underlying drivers of obesity.

We took a human-centred storytelling approach in this campaign, which features Emma whose story of obesity is one of more than 6 million Australians. ​

Our research showed that going directly to the issue of obesity in the advertising script risked the audience beginning the journey with their prejudice front of mind. Instead, the narrative arc of the advertising begins somewhere positive – Emma is a nurse, hard-working, with a family. Once connection is established, she reveals the driver of her challenge with weight in a relatable way.​

The title of the campaign “More than meets the eye” is a reference to those underlying health, mental health and other issues that drive people’s weight challenges.​

The campaign has been the subject of an academic review and quantitative research showed that after watching the video more than a third of respondents reported a much more nuanced understanding of and empathy towards people with obesity. The Obesity Collective, which is the peak body for obesity in Australia, has gained excellent early engagement in its initial testing phase and is awaiting funding to scale the initiative.​

A lot has been done to address stigma in areas like mental health and disability but there has been less focus on obesity. Yet weight stigma is the single largest driver of obesity in Australia, with shame and social attitudes often preventing help-seeking behaviour and participation in social life. The Obesity Collective asked us to analyse the target audience and find a way to help the community see the deeper underlying drivers of obesity.

We took a human-centred storytelling approach in this campaign, which features Emma whose story of obesity is one of more than 6 million Australians. ​

Our research showed that going directly to the issue of obesity in the advertising script risked the audience beginning the journey with their prejudice front of mind. Instead, the narrative arc of the advertising begins somewhere positive – Emma is a nurse, hard-working, with a family. Once connection is established, she reveals the driver of her challenge with weight in a relatable way.​

The title of the campaign “More than meets the eye” is a reference to those underlying health, mental health and other issues that drive people’s weight challenges.​

The campaign has been the subject of an academic review and quantitative research showed that after watching the video more than a third of respondents reported a much more nuanced understanding of and empathy towards people with obesity. The Obesity Collective, which is the peak body for obesity in Australia, has gained excellent early engagement in its initial testing phase and is awaiting funding to scale the initiative.​