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Weight maintenance as a tight rope walk - a Grounded Theory study
Kristina Lindvall1, Christel Larsson, Lars Weinehall
1Epidemiology and Global Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Medical Faculty, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. kristina.lindvall@epiph.umu.se
BMC Public Health
|February 4, 2010
Summary
Maintaining a healthy weight involves a delicate balance, with individuals employing diverse strategies like finding joy in healthy eating and exercise. Personalized advice is crucial, as weight management varies greatly among individuals.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Qualitative Research
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Overweight and obesity present significant global and Swedish public health challenges.
- Modest long-term outcomes in obesity treatment necessitate a focus on weight gain prevention.
- Lack of consensus on effective weight maintenance strategies highlights the need for further research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore attitudes, behaviors, and strategies crucial for primary weight maintenance in a middle-aged population.
- To develop a model illustrating key findings in weight maintenance.
Main Methods:
- Conducted in-depth interviews with 23 weight maintainers and 4 slight weight gainers in Sweden.
- Employed Grounded Theory for qualitative analysis of interview transcripts.
Main Results:
- Weight maintenance conceptualized as a "tightrope walk" requiring specific strategies.
- Identified four key strategies: "rely on heritage," "find the joy," "find the routine," and "be in control."
- Developed an "ideal types" model illustrating diverse approaches to weight maintenance, including balancing taste with nutrition and using physical activity for emotional regulation.
Conclusions:
- Significant individual variation exists in weight maintenance attitudes, strategies, and behaviors.
- Findings underscore the need for tailored health advice, differentiating between weight loss and weight maintenance strategies.
- Results can inform primary healthcare by enhancing understanding of individual differences in relation to food and physical activity.
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