Qualitative evaluation of obesity stigmatization, surgical decision-making process and post-surgical psychosocial experiences after obesity surgery

Abstract

Background: Obesity is important in terms of the psychosocial burden it creates, and bariatric surgery has demonstrated be an effective treatment.
Objective: To perform a qualitative study in order to evaluate stigmatization and psychosocial status of individuals who underwent bariatric surgery.
Material and Methods: People who had undergone bariatric surgery were interviewed online. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview form. Participants were included voluntarily. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed with the Atlas.ti. Main themes and sub-themes were revealed.
Results: Ten participants were included. Mean age was 39.2 years, and 7 of them were female. The presence of unhealthy diet, inactivity, psychological status, and genetic predisposition were recorded.
Most respondents felt that society is cynical when it comes to its opinion of obese people. Obesity had a negative impact on their work performance, relationships and exposed them to stigmatization. Most
of the participants had experienced a lack of self-confidence before surgery and consulted a dietician to lose weight but became stressed and regained the weight lost. The participants decided to undergo bariatric surgery and 6 of them reached their target weight while 4 of them could not. The participants stated that bariatric surgery had positive effects on their health. Half of the participants stated their social lives improved significantly after bariatric surgery and that stigmatization decreased. Most of them stated that society should be educated about its attitude towards people with differences.
Conclusion: Obesity induces stigmatization and negatively affects various aspects of individuals, that improved after bariatric surgery.