English obesity policies often frame families as responsible for children’s weight

Researchers conducted a qualitative framing analysis of six national English policy documents on childhood obesity published between 2010 and 2020. Using reflexive thematic analysis and framing theory, they examined how parents and families were represented; the study did not assess policy effects or include participants.

Four themes emerged: parents and families were presented as decision-makers; public services were expected to empower them; policies assumed maternal responsibility for the family; and responsibility for individual choices was assigned through the family. The analysis also identified limited attention to broader factors, including financial constraints, food insecurity and varied family structures.

The authors argue that policy language can shape approaches to childhood obesity and call for future policies to move beyond frames that place excessive responsibility on parents, while recognizing families’ agency and addressing practical and environmental constraints. These findings describe the framing of six documents, not the effectiveness of particular policies or interventions; they do not establish that changing policy language alone would reduce childhood obesity.