Knowing what to weigh: women's self-care activities related to weight

Overweight and obesity are major health problems among women. Data were collected from intensive interviews of 37 white middle-class and working-class women to explore how women interpret and use health information in the practice of self-care related to weight management. The findings indicated that all women develop personalized norms or categories of physical identity for weight and criteria for knowing if they weigh too much or too little. These norms and criteria represent creative self-care tactics devised without professional assistance in weight management and without regard for the cultural pressure to be thin. The results of this study have relevance for theory development and nursing practice related to women's health. In addition, they support the need for more community-based studies of women to understand the cultural and physical environments in which women conduct their lives and maintain their health.