Imagine Entertainment and MACRO Partner With Eli Lilly and Company to Bolster Film and TV Representation of Health Conditions

variety.com:

Katcy Stephan Following the results of a study by USC Annenberg demonstrating the lack of adequate representation of those with health conditions in film and television, Eli Lilly and Company is partnering with leading content creators and production companies, Imagine Entertainment and MACRO, to drive entertainment industry-wide change and guide the industry in accurately and authentically representing disease.

The goal of this shift in representation is to reduce public stigma of a variety of conditions. Despite millions of Americans dealing with diseases, the study found a lack of presence of these health conditions in content.

When they do show up, there are mis-portrayals which often do not reflect the true patient experience. Only 2.8% of speaking characters across 2023’s most popular TV shows and films had obesity, despite 37% of the U.S.

population living with obesity, the study found. Of the characters with obesity, nearly half (46.2%) were depicted as “being unlikable,” and they were rarely shown in multidimensional roles.