Thinnest or strongest - what do you really win? : A thematic analysis pf SVT Edits documentaries Smalast vinner and Starkast vinner.

Eating disorders encompass several mental illnesses that physically affect the body, of whichanorexia nervosa is one example. All forms of eating disorders are rooted in bodydissatisfaction. Previous research explains that social media reinforces this dissatisfaction,since greater media access spreads unhealthy body ideals. Further research suggests thatsocial factors such as friends, family, and cultural influences have a limited impact ondeveloping body dissatisfaction. Eating disorders have for a long time been associated withgirls. This association has contributed to men with eating disorders not being highlighted asclearly. This, in turn, has led to a hidden prevalence of male eating disorders, and to boys andmen not seeking care to the same extent as women. The purpose of this study has been toexamine how SVT portrays body ideals and eating disorders in the documentaries Smalastvinner and Starkast vinner. In addition, we have analyzed how stigma is constructed at theindividual and structural levels, by looking at which destigmatization strategies are used andhow it differs between men and women. The study holds societal relevance as it contributes,among other things, to further research on male eating disorders, which have long beenunderrepresented. Furthermore, it contributes to the field of media and communication byexamining the subject within a media channel. Through a thematic analysis, with acomparative approach, we found codes that were grouped into categories, which led to mainthemes. Using Stuart Hall's representation theory and Erving Goffman's stigma theory, wehave been able to interpret themes using central concepts for each theory, such as discredited,discreditable and pluralistic masculinity.The study shows that the documentaries present bodyideals, both in accordance with norms for what is considered feminine and masculine, butalso by nuanced and including perspectives that deviate from society. Further results showthat self-stigma is driven by social media among both men and women, but in different ways.