Relapse stories in obesity

Abstract

The tendency for obese people to relapse and regain the weight they have lost constitutes a serious problem in obesity treatment. The present study is an attempt to analyse obesity narratives to characterize the complex interrelationship between relapses and sociocultural factors. In-depth interviews were obtained from 90 obese subjects who were applying for weight loss programmes or seeking help for obesity-related problems. The social constructionist version and application of grounded theory was used to analyse the stories told by the subjects about their obesity experiences. Three main strategies to explain weight gain and relapses after weight-loss periods were identified: deprivation of supervision, anti-dieting values and isolation and unfulfilled dreams. These strategies emphasize the impact of social control, weight-related values and attitudes as well as unrealistically high hopes connected to weight loss. The results indicate that the social environment plays an important role in weight-related issues and social reactions to weight changes are difficult to handle, irrespective of the nature of the reactions. Obesity narratives present the explanations and justifications for previous failures and reflect the obese persons' understanding of their experiences in diverse social contexts.