Lay discourses and beliefs related to food risks

An Australian perspective

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2265710
AutoresD Lupton (0000-0003-2658-4430, Charles Sturt University, autor de correspondencia), Deborah A Lupton
Año2005
Volumen27
Número4
Páginas448-467
Fecha de publicación2005-05-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSociology of Health & Illness (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0141-9889 • E-ISSN: 1467-9566
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1467-9566.2005.00451.x
PMID15998346
OpenAlexW2033541333
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas29
Referencias citadas30

Much publicity has been given to risks associated with food in Western countries. This article draws on an Australian research study using qualitative interviews to investigate discourses and beliefs related to food risks among lay people. It was found that the interviewees were most concerned about dietary fat as a risky substance related to overweight, both because of health reasons and physical appearance. A secondary concern they identified was the processing of foodstuffs and 'unnatural' additives. The dominant discourses which were commonly used to organise people's ideas included those concerning 'trying' to consume the 'right' kinds of foods, the importance of 'balance', the notion of food as 'functional' for bodily health, the 'blame' that often accompanied moral judgements about the diet of people with serious illnesses such as cancer and the 'battle' and need for 'control' that people with children referred to in relation to making sure that their children consumed a healthy diet. Most people were willing to invest their trust in government bodies and health professionals to provide accurate information about food risks, as well as trusting their own judgement. The relevance of the Australian cultural context for these findings is discussed

Blame · Context (archaeology) · Government (linguistics) · Judgement · Perspective (graphical) · Political science · Public relations · Publicity · Qualitative research · Relevance (law) · Social science · Sociology · Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling · Culinary Culture and Tourism · Law · Psychology · Risk Perception and Management · Social Psychology