The Experiences of Living With Excess Weight as an Adolescent: Everyday Life and Healthcare Encounters
Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the experiences of living with obesity as an adolescent.Of special interest was how adolescents living with obesity experience their health care encounters.A Heideggerian interpretive phenomenological method was used, which seeks to understand the hidden meaning of human experiences.The sample included 21 adolescents and young adults, 13 to 23 years of age, who were living with, or had lived with, obesity as adolescents.Participants were recruited from two clinics, the community, and the Northern Ohio National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance Chapter.In-depth individual interviews were conducted and recorded.Participants provided rich descriptions of their day-to-day lives living with obesity and their health care encounters.Diekelman & Allen"s procedures for interpretive analysis were used.Four broad topics were identified: the physical experiences of living with excess weight, the social experiences of living with excess weight, ways of managing excess weight, and health care experiences when living with excess weight.Participants" experiences are best described as a complex interplay between the physical and social challenges they faced and the skillful coping that they brought to their situations.Several key constructs that captured the participants" experiences emerged: existence (being), authenticity, embodiment, modes of engagement, the medical gaze, and practical know-how (spielraum).These constructs were interpreted with works of Heidegger, Merlau-Ponty, and Foucault.
Author: Robin Lynne Brian
Institution: Kent State University
Language: English
Topic: Obesity and Health Practices
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2205371033