Weight stigma and fat‐shaming in weight loss apps: an analysis of app store discourses

Abstract

Mobile health (mHealth) applications for weight loss have become increasingly prominent, yet their role in perpetuating weight stigma and fat-shaming remains underexamined in sociological research. This study investigates how the persuasive discourse within app store descriptions of 95 weight loss apps may contribute to stigmatizing narratives about fatness and body weight. Drawing on qualitative content analysis, we identify two primary mechanisms of stigmatization: (1) the lack of body diversity in app imagery, which reinforces narrow esthetic norms and ideals; and (2) the moralization of body weight, whereby fatness is implicitly or explicitly associated with personal failure and social undesirability. We also highlight how the commercial imperatives driving these apps often promote a neoliberal logic of individual responsibility and bodily optimization, framing health as a market-driven pursuit. Recognizing the stigmatizing potential of commercial mHealth tools is essential for mitigating harm and promoting more inclusive and equitable representations of bodies in digital health culture and public health discourse.