'Are you still on that stupid diet?': women's experiences of societal pressure and support regarding weight loss, and attitudes towards health policy intervention.
This study investigated how people's attitudes and motivations towards losing weight are influenced by societal pressures surrounding weight loss, their interaction with the obesogenic environment and individuals' attitudes and motivations towards weight. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 women currently attending commercial weight-loss programmes. Participants experienced conflicting messages regarding weight norms, with the media portraying powerful social norms relating to thinness and beauty, and changes to the food environment and interactions with family and friends commonly undermining weight-loss activities and promoting increased consumption. Providing social and environmental support for the behaviours needed to produce weight loss may need to be a primary focus for obesity policy.
University of Bath, UK University of Bristol, UK katie.whale@bristol.ac.uk.
Katie
K
Whale
University of Bath, UK.
Fiona B
FB
Gillison
University of Bath, UK.
Paula C
PC
Smith
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012944:Social Support; D015431:Weight Loss
appearance; body image; norms; obesity; policy; theory