title: "Vicious circles": the development of morbid obesity.
abstract: Although there has been extensive research around the etiology of moderate obesity, there are still important questions relating to the development and lived experience of extreme obesity. We present a synthesis of data from two in-depth qualitative studies in which morbidly obese participants (N = 31) were able to explain the development of the condition in their own terms. We identified consistent themes in the two datasets, and undertook a detailed data synthesis. Particularly salient themes in the development of morbid obesity related to family structures and early socialization experiences, and the role of emotional distress was dominant in both initial weight gain and ongoing cycles of loss and regain. All informants accepted some responsibility for their health state, but identified a number of mitigating factors that limited personal culpability that were often related to the fulfillment of gendered social expectations.
authors: University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom a.owen-smith@bris.ac.uk.
authors: Amanda
authors: A
authors: Owen-Smith
authors: University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
authors: Jenny
authors: J
authors: Donovan
authors: University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
authors: Joanna
authors: J
authors: Coast
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009014:Morals; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: comparative analysis; embodiment / bodily experiences; emotions / emotion work, interviews; lived experience; meta-ethnography; obesity / overweight; research, qualitative; social identity