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Article In: Metaphor and the Social World: Online-First Articles

Enemies on the plate

Investigating the framing effect of the war metaphor on public perceptions of food hypersensitivity

 | Corvinus University of Budapest
 | Independent Researcher
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
Despite the widespread use of the war metaphor in health communication, its overall applicability is not unequivocal. While it can effectively mobilize and create a sense of purpose and urgency, it can also stigmatize and intensify negative emotions. Even less is known about the extent to which the war metaphor is effective in under- and misdiagnosed conditions such as food hypersensitivity (FHS). The research gap is especially pronounced in Hungary, where self-reported cases are relatively high, but clinical diagnosis and public awareness remain below the European average. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of the war metaphor on the perception of FHS among Hungarian adults. In a non-representative online survey, respondents (N = 107) were randomly assigned to read either one of two texts on FHS: one containing explicit war-related metaphorical language and one using non-war-related language. Results indicate that the war-framed text was associated with significantly greater emotional engagement, while differences in empathy, social-role categorization, and behavioural intention were not statistically significant. Participants exposed to the war metaphor also rated FHS as more serious and perceived higher levels of stigma, although these differences did not remain statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons. These findings suggest that the clearest influence of the war framing was affective, while its broader evaluative and social implications remain tentative, highlighting the double-edged nature of the war metaphor in health discourse and calling for more inclusive and context-sensitive approaches to metaphorical framing in chronic illness communication.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Metaphorical framing in health communication
  • 3.Methodology
  • 4.Results and discussion
    • 4.1Awareness of FHS
    • 4.2Attitude to people living with FHS
    • 4.3Categorization of people with FHS
    • 4.4Accommodation to people with FHS
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Author queries
  • References
References (84)
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