This qualitative analysis examined all print and online news articles published in New Zealand between January 2007 and June 2017 that reported stories, opinion pieces or editorials concerning Māori and bariatric surgery. Of the 246 articles that were analysed, 31 (13%) were representative of Māori. Articles were scored on a 5-point scale that assessed the level of reporting as ‘neutral’ to ‘positive’ with a mean reporting score of 3.7 (Kappa score of 0.72; 95% CI, 0.66–0.78, p<0.0001). Thematic analysis identified 5 main themes: Attitudes towards bariatric surgery; complexity of obesity and weight loss; access to bariatric surgery; Māori advocacy; and framing of Māori. The major themes that emerged were access to bariatric surgery and attitudes towards bariatric surgery. Māori advocacy was also a common theme that arose largely due to the support of public funding of bariatric surgery championed by Dame Tariana Turia. Few narratives described equity of bariatric surgery provision and equitable outcomes following bariatric surgery for Māori.
