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Living With Obesity: Expressions of Longing
Venke Ueland1, Elin Dysvik1, Bodil Furnes1
1Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway.
SAGE Open Nursing
|January 8, 2021
Summary
Individuals with obesity experience profound moral distress and societal judgment. Understanding their deep longings for normality, lost experiences, and life simplicity is crucial for improving treatments and promoting self-care.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Medical Ethics
Background:
- Obesity is associated with significant moral distress and societal stigma in Western cultures.
- Current treatments for obesity often fail to address individual needs and lived experiences.
- Phenomenological approaches and understanding embodiment are needed to explore the subjective experiences of individuals with obesity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences of longing among individuals with obesity.
- To explore the individual perspectives of longing to inform better treatment strategies.
- To investigate how longing can be a form of resistance against societal pressures.
Main Methods:
- Explorative phenomenological-hermeneutical design.
- Qualitative interviews with 18 participants (body mass index 30–45).
- Analysis using a phenomenological-hermeneutical approach.
Main Results:
- Three primary dimensions of longing were identified: longing for normality, longing for what was lost, and longing for simplicity.
- Longing represents a potential pathway to understanding individuals' true desires.
- Longing may serve as a form of resistance to societal disciplination.
Conclusions:
- Healthcare services must better comprehend the longings of individuals with obesity to support their autonomy and self-care.
- Addressing longing can empower individuals to live more freely according to their own desires.
- Understanding subjective experiences of longing is essential for person-centered obesity care.
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