Representations of celebrities’ weight and shape during pregnancy and postpartum: A content analysis of three entertainment magazine websites

Entertainment magazine websites provide a continuous stream of celebrity news accessed by over 13 million unique viewers each month. Celebrities’ experiences of pregnancy and new motherhood appear to be popular topics within these media outlets; however, little research has investigated the content of this coverage. In this study, investigators coded articles (N = 387) published between August 1, 2007 and August 1, 2008 on three popular entertainment magazine websites. Relatively few articles about celebrities’ pregnancies discussed weight (13%) or shape (30%), and an even smaller proportion (6.2%) included any discussion of postpartum body dissatisfaction. This suggests a gap between portrayal of celebrities’ pregnancies and postpartum experiences and those of non-celebrity women. This disparity is concerning as it might lead to unrealistic expectations about pregnancy and postpartum for both pregnant readers and a more general audience. This study provides important initial information about the messages these media provide regarding pregnancy-related appearance.

► This article explored portrayals of celebrities’ pregnancies and new motherhood in three online entertainment magazines.
► This is the first study to examine how pregnancy-related appearance is portrayed within celebrity-focused media.
► Few articles discussed weight or shape.
► Few articles indicated celebrity postpartum body dissatisfaction.
► Thus, a gap appears to exist between celebrities’ experiences of pregnancy and new motherhood and those of the average woman.